Nine
by PengyChan
Summary: The 9th Man is stopped before he can go through Door [5]. This changes a few things.
1. Divergence

_A/N: I wrote this a while back and realized I never posted it here, so hey, why not. Some chapters need to be fixed up, so I'll upload them as I do so._  
 _The POV in the first chapter is Junpei's; in the next ones, the POV characters will be Seven, Ace and the 9th Man._

 _Cover art by Tigresscherrytea on Tumblr._

* * *

For several instants as he stared at the scene, a scrawny guy with impossible hair and a very precarious grip on his sanity holding a knife to a girls' neck, Junpei couldn't truly think of anything.

Not because he wasn't worried – hell, the guy looked positively insane and ready to use that knife and he still had no idea where they even were and what the fuck was going on, so how could he _not_ be worried? – but because a sudden thought as now echoing in his mind, over and over again, for no apparent reason.

 _This won't end well. Can't end well. I've seen this before. Something happens afterward. Something. Something horrible. Something…_

But what, Junpei wondered frantically, what would happen? Something horrible? Why was he so _sure_ that something horrible would happen?

"Just verify your number like this little b-brat did."

The man's words snapped Junpei from his thoughts. The man was staring at Ace, his breathing quick and sweat pouring down his face. For someone who seemed to currently have the upper hand, he sure seemed scared to death. Junpei glanced at Ace, who was staring at the man with the number [9] bracelet in confusion. That, apparently, didn't sit well with that guy. Not at all.

"What are you doing?! D-Do it! D-Don't you care what h-happens to her?!" he snapped, but his voice failed to stay firm even now. Still, it was enough to make Ace recoil and lift his hands.

"O-Okay, okay. Just calm down…" he said quietly, and took a step forward towards the device, then another…

"WAIT!"

Later on, Junpei wouldn't be able to tell why he had exactly called out; he just had, out of instinct; he couldn't shake off the feeling something terrible may happen if he didn't stop that man _now_. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, but the only person he kept staring at was that off, crazed guy – who, on the other hand, was staring back at him with widened eyes. All of a sudden, he looked terribly lost; as though he simply had no idea how he should react. Junpei could see him swallowing before speaking again.

"W-what is it?" he asked, his voice shaking. His grip on Clover seemed to tighten, and she winced.

"Look, you… may not want to do this," Junpei spoke, barely even registering the words he was uttering.

The man seemed taken aback. "W-w-why… w-what do you t-think you _know_?" he snapped, but uncertainty seemed to be back in his voice.

"I… I don't _know_ , I just… look, you're planning on going in alone, right?"

The man's already pale skin seemed to suddenly grow even paler, and Junpei knew his guess – how did he even guess? – was right. His grip on the knife he was holding to Clover's throat slackened.

"I-I… y-you… how…?

How? Junpei had no idea. But he knew he was right, and he knew with absolute certainty he couldn't allow him to go through with it. "Listen for a moment, okay?" he spoke up again, acutely aware of the fact everyone's eyes – well, save Snake's – were still on him. "It's against the rules, right? The ones I just read. The part where 'all those who enter must leave, and all who enter must contribute'. So, uh… I'm sure it's not a good idea? I mean, they're there for a reason, and, uh… well, we may not want to break them?" he finished weakly, not sounding so sure of himself… but it was clear that now the scrawny man wasn't that sure of himself anymore, either: he was staring at him, chewing his lower lip bloody, and the hand with the knife shook.

"I-I… n-no, that's not… I…" he stammered, but whatever he was about to save next was never uttered – because Clover took advantage of his shock and slackened grip to shove him away and break free. The man was taken by surprise and, scrawny as he was, toppled backwards with a surprised yelp. And one instant later, with a sound that made Junpei think of a bear's roar, Seven was on him.

The man let out a terrified scream when he hit the floor and Seven's bulk kept him from getting up, then he was no longer heard for several moments over the exclamations and gasps that left the others. Junpei could hear Santa cursing, Snake saying something to his sister, and feel June gripping his sleeve. He didn't turn to look at any of them, though: his eyes were fixed on the scene.

"Did he kill him?" Ace asked worriedly, and for a moment Junpei didn't know what to think: it seemed impossible that such a mountain of a guy could land on a bag of bones like that and not break something vital in the process. But then the man shrieked again and struggled to break away, and that was enough of an answer – no, Seven's tackle hadn't killed him. The man screamed, frantically trying to break free, but with Seven's knee on his back and his huge hand gripping his wrists he couldn't move a inch.

"Santa!" Seven called out, teeth grit against some pain whose cause Junpei couldn't guess and using his free hand to put into his pocket the knife he had likely pried off the madman's grasp. "Your scarf!"

Santa, who looked at the scene with wide and bewildered eyes, blinked. "What? Why-?"

"To tie up this nutcase, what do you think?" Seven barked over the man's panicked screams. "Just give me the scarf!"

Santa scowled and muttered something on how damn expensive that scarf was, but he didn't protest any further and finally took it off, throwing it at Seven. He caught it with his free hand, and turned his attention back on the squirming man beneath him. "Keep still – still, I said!" he growled, pressing his knee harder on the man's back and wrapping the scarf around his trapped arms.

Any attempt at struggling was fruitless: the man may as well have been trying to fight a mountain. Soon enough the his arms were securely tied behind his back – forearm against forearm, with his fingers curling around the opposite elbow, rendering him completely helpless and unable to free himself unless his name was fucking Houdini. Only then Seven lifted his knee from the smaller man's back and grabbed the collar of his shirt to pull him on his feet.

"Get up, you sick bastard," he growled, forcing him up and pushing him against the numbered door. The man yelped when his back hit the metal, his arms trapped between his back and the door and Seven's huge hand around his neck. One of his glasses' lenses had cracked, but Junpei barely noticed: all he could focus onto was the look of absolute, mindless terror in in his eyes. Then again, Seven looked all the world like he could have crushed the smaller man like an insect and barely holding back from doing just that; he probably would have been terrified as well if he had a very angry Seven's hand around his throat. "What the _hell_ did you think you were doing?"

The man's eyes twitched from person to person, as though he was pleading the very same people he had threatened minutes before to help him. But, needless to say, no one moved to do so: they all just stared at him, waiting for the same reply as Seven. "Well?" Seven growled, giving him a shake.

The man whimpered, his gaze turning back to Seven. He worked his jaw for a few moments, as though he was trying to gather the courage to speak, but he failed to and a moment later a sudden sob wrecked his chest.

"What the…?" Seven muttered, something very close to disgust twisting his features. He let go of his neck with a snort, and a moment later the man had crumpled on the floor as though his legs simply could no longer support him, shaking violently with uncontrolled sobs. He was speaking, or trying to, and Junpei could barely make out a few words.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry p-please d-don't hurt me please please _please_ …!" he choked out over and over, eyes tightly shut.

"What the hell, man?" Santa snapped, a disgusted expression on his face that matched Seven's. "Just answer to the damn question!"

"I think it's safe to say he's having a breakdown. We can hardly hope for a lucid reply while he's in this state of distress," Snake spoke calmly, Clover still close to him. She was almost hiding behind him, staring at the sobbing mess who had held a knife to her throat with a mixture of fear, surprise and contempt.

Junpei frowned a little at them. They seemed to be especially close to each other, unlike the rest of them. "What's the deal with you two, anyway?" he asked.

It was Snake to reply with a calm smile. "We're siblings. Clover is my younger sister," he said, causing Junpei to blink. Siblings, really? They looked nothing alike!

"Your sister? Really?"

Snake nodded. "Yes. Is there something especially odd about it?" he asked. Before Junpei could say anything more, it was Lotus to speak.

"You're awfully calm, then, considering that he held your sister at knife-point. Had it been one of my-" she trailed off all of a sudden, and eventually just fell silent and stared down at the sniveling mess on the ground. He was a pitiful sight, really, but it was hard to feel much pity for a guy who had held a knife to a girl's throat only minutes earlier.

Snake shook his head. "I am quite enraged for what he did to my sister, obviously, and he is lucky that Seven was on him before _I_ moved. But," he added, putting one arm Clover's shoulders, "she is alright, thankfully. I suppose this man had a mental breakdown and simply did not care what he had to do to get out. Not something I appreciate, but now he's no threat."

Seven gave a sudden laugh that caused Junpei to blink in surprise. "What is that about?" he asked, confused. Seven shrugged.

"It means that this little psycho wasn't that much of a threat earlier, either. Hasn't got the slightest idea how to hold a knife to someone's throat. Sure, I couldn't move and take the risk he'd stab her, but if he was planning on slitting her throat he wouldn't have managed to even draw blood. He was holding the knife the wrong way. Anyway," he added, looking down at him and cracking his knuckles, "are you done with the waterworks? 'Cause we asked a question, Nine. And I don't really like having to _wait_. Get up."

The man winced, choking back a sob, but didn't move.

"I said _up_!" Seven roared, causing Nine – yes, Junpei thought, Nine would have to do for now – to shudder and choke back another sob.

"For heaven's sake, Seven, scaring him further will be of no help," Ace spoke up for the first time in several minutes. He walked up to that sniveling mess and reaching to help him up a lot more gently than Seven had bothered to. For some reason, the man didn't shrink away from him and let him help him on his feet. Junpei could see Ace saying something to him, and while he couldn't catch any of the words – none of them could – it had to be something reassuring, for the man seemed suddenly calmer. Well, relatively calmer: he still seemed one step away from a breakdown, but now he stood on his own legs and wasn't sobbing anymore.

"We're not going to hurt you," Ace spoke again, this time louder, so that everyone could hear them. He put a hand on Nine's shoulder and glanced back at all of them. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Not that I'm not tempted," Santa muttered, his gaze dark. June, who had scarcely made a sound up to that point, gave him an odd look.

"But he's helpless. He can't do anything to anyone now," she pointed out. Santa shrugged and didn't press the point. Junpei was about to add something, but Snake spoke up first.

"As long as he stays tied up and thus is no threat, I see no reason for us to. Clover?" he asked, tilting his head towards his sister. She seemed to hesitate, but then she had to take in consideration the fact he was tied, unarmed and outnumbered, and nodded.

"Yeah. What he said," she mumbled, still warily glancing at Nine.

"As long as he stays away from me as well," Junpei heard Lotus muttering.

Seven, on the other hand, snorted. "Of course not. We ain't a bunch of bastards like him. But," Seven muttered darkly, a huge hand reaching to grasp Nine's shoulder hard enough to make him whimper, "I ain't taking my eyes off you one second, little creep. Now tell us what the hell was that about!"

Nine swallowed, still breathing quickly. "I-I… I w-wanted t-to… I…" he fell silent, still breathing quickly, as though he couldn't manage to put a real answer together.

"If I'm allowed to make a guess," Snake spoke, causing everyone's eyes to turn away from Nine and on him, "I suppose you panicked and wanted out. Is that why you held a knife on my sister? You've been kidnapped as well, isn't that right?"

Nine seemed taken aback by his calm for a moment, then he began nodding frantically. "Y-yes! I-I… I d-don't know who k-k-kidnapped me. I-it was s-someone with a g-gas mask, and-"

"Yeah, yeah. The usual guy. We all got into that a while ago," Santa cut him off with a snort.

"So you're in the same situation as all of us," Ace muttered.

"Only that he thought taking a hostage would get you out quickly," Seven pointed out, his voice still way too close to a growl, and the man squirmed in his grasp.

"I-I'm sorry! I d-d-didn't… I was s-scared, I…!"

"Yeah, we _did_ notice you don't keep a cool mind easily," Clover said dryly, still looking wary. "By the way, how did you know that stuff?"

Nine tensed. Well, not that he had really relaxed until that moment. "S-stuff?"

"How the device works. How did you know it's to scan the bracelets? It wasn't written among the rules."

That was true, Junpei realized: the man had seemed to know how the device and the bracelets worked well – _too_ well. _How_ did he know that, and what _else_ did he know that they didn't?

"She's right!"

"How did you know it?"

" _Why_ did you know it?"

"Who the hell _are_ you?"

Nine winced as though each question thrown at him had just hit him physically, and tried to back away – only to let out a yelp when Seven's grip on his shoulder tightened to keep him where he was. "So, what is it you know?" Seven all but growled, and Nine's skin went chalk-white.

"I-I-I… I…!" he sputtered, apparently unable to even begin to form a more articulate answer. His legs shook to the point Junpei was pretty sure he would have crumbled on the floor again hadn't it been for Seven's grip keeping him up. And when no answer came, said grip tightened even more, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Seven, you're _hurting_ him! Stop it!" June spoke somewhere on Junpei's left, sounding rather worried; Santa shot her a somewhat disgusted look, but Ace seemed to agree with her.

"I agree. There is no point in scaring him further, let alone harming him. Let him sit down a moment. I'm sure there is an explanation."

Seven snorted. "Yeah, bet there is. Can't wait to hear it," he said, letting go of Nine's shoulder. The man stumbled backwards, then his back met the wall and he slid to sit on the ground, still shaking. However, June and Ace's display of compassion seemed to have reassured him at least a little, for a moment later he managed to speak.

"T-t-there was… a-another letter in m-m-my cabin. W-when I woke up. I-it explained e-everything…!"

Well, Junepi thought, that really sounded like a seriously half-assed lie. The guy sure was not a good liar. Then again he was not a good speaker, either, so he may be even telling the truth and just be amazingly bad at sounding convincing.

Lotus, on the other hand, was clearly less willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Why would _you_ get another letter with instructions? And where is this letter now?"

Nine squirmed, his eyes darting across the room without stopping on any of them. "A-ah, I… l-l-lost it when… I…"

"Bullshit!" Santa snapped, causing Nine – and just about everyone, really – to recoil. "And now the decks below this are flooded and we couldn't find any damn piece of paper even if we tried. How convenient, uh? Like hell I'm going to just believe-"

"Actually," Snake spoke up to interrupt his tirade, his voice collected as usual, "it is quite possible he's telling the truth. I found a such letter myself."

His statement caused all eyes to turn to him – including Nine's, who looked nothing short of stunned.

"You _what_?" Santa asked, eyes narrowing.

Snake chuckled at his surprise and pulled out something from his pocket – a card covered with small bumps. That had to be braille, Junpei though. "Here it is. If you wish, I can read it to you," Snake offered.

"Of course we wish!" Santa snapped at him, merely getting a shrug out of Snake. As everyone crowded around him – even Nine, with Seven pushing him forward – the young man began running his fingers across the card and spoke aloud.

" _Bracelet number [2]. Since you are not blessed with sight I shall bless you – and only you – with information. I shall tell you of the function of the RED, of the DEAD, and of the bracelet. The RED is the Recognition Device. It will verify your number. Beside every numbered door, you will find a RED. The DEAD is the Deactivation Device. It does exactly what it says. Once you have passed through the numbered door, you must use the DEAD to stop the detonator in your bracelet. But perhaps you are wondering… What does this detonator detonate? I am afraid this may be something of a surprise. I have placed a small bomb inside of you, and the people whom you are about to meet. You swallowed it while you were unconscious. I have no doubt that by the time you read this note, the bomb will have passed your stomach and found its way to your small intestine. In other words, you will be unable to regurgitate it. I suggest you do not try_

 _As I mentioned before, the bracelet on your left hand contains a detonator. Think of it as a remote fuse, or timer, for the bomb in your body. There is only 1 condition which will cause it to detonate. That condition is that you enter a numbered door. Once you have done so, the timer will activate, no matter who you may be. You will have 81 seconds. If, after that time, the detonator has not been deactivated, it will send a signal to the bomb in your body, instructing it to explode. In order to deactivate the detonator, every person who verified their number at the RED must also verify their numbers at the DEAD. Once all numbers have been verified by the DEAD, you need only pull the lever at its side, and the countdown will cease. Anyone who does not verify their number at the RED will find themselves unable to verify their number at the DEAD. That is to say, if you should pass through a numbered door without first verifying your number at the RED, in 81 seconds you will be dead. You must also keep in mind that the numbered doors will close automatically after 9 seconds have passed. So long as the door is open, the DEAD will not function. You would do well to remember this._

 _Lastly, let us discuss how to remove the bracelets. There are only 2 ways to do so. One: You escape from this ship. Two: Your heart rate reaches zero. In other words, once the bracelet is taken outside the confines of the ship, or detects that its wearer's heartbeat has fallen to zero, it will shut down automatically. There is no other way to remove your bracelet. If you attempt to force it off, or disable the detonator, the bomb within you will immediately explode. This is all the information which I can impart to you. How you choose to use it is for you to decide. If used wisely, you can eliminate those who might be a danger to you. For a time, you would be able to control your fate. I wish you the best of luck."_

There were a couple of minutes of complete silence as Snake finally finished reading and put the piece of paper back in his pocket. "As you can see," he said, "Zero did leave some of us instructions."

That seemed to sustain Nine's claim, but not everyone seemed convinced; especially not Lotus. "Didn't the letter expressly say that such information was reserved to you alone? Then why would he have one, too?" she asked, suspiciously glancing at Nine. The man seemed to shrink under her gaze.

"I-I don't know!" he blurted out, his face once again covered in sweat. He looked once again terrified, and desperate. "B-but I found one! T-that's why I k-knew the rules! I swear!"

"Perhaps," Ace spoke up, a thoughtful frown on his face, "Zero lied in the letter. Perhaps it's a way to set us up against each other – giving some of us information others do not have under the pretense each of them is the only one to receive it. Don't you think it's possible?"

Snake nodded. "It is a possibility," he conceded.

"Wait a minute! So are we going to just take what this sick fuck says at face value? Just like that?" Santa spoke up, glaring daggers at Nine, and the man seemed to shrink.

"B-but I… I…" he began, but he was cut off by June.

"But what if he isn't lying?" she asked, biting on her thumb while she glanced at Nine somewhat uncertainly. "I mean, we cannot _know_ he isn't, but since Snake has a letter like that, too… then maybe he's telling the truth."

Santa scowled. "So we should just bring him along?" he asked scathingly.

"I can't see why not," Junpei spoke up, ignoring Santa's glare. "I mean, he's tied up, right? And unarmed. I can't see him trying anything if someone looks after him," he added. The guy looked anything but threatening tied out and without a knife, but he was still unstable and Junpei would feel so much safer if someone actually guarded him.

Seven nodded. "I can do that. As I said, I ain't letting this creep out of my sight any moment. Where you go, I go," he added, glaring at Nine. "So don't try anything funny. I'm not in the mood for jokes. Got that?"

Junpei could see the man swallowing before speaking. "Y-yes," he managed.

"Good. Since your number can be added up to any team, then you've got to excuse to-"

"Wait a moment! Are you seriously saying we're going to do what Zero tells us to?" Lotus spoke up, something akin to anger in her voice.

Clover looked back at her. "But we have to," she pointed out. "There is no other way out. How else are we supposed to leave the ship?"

Ace nodded. "I agree with Clover. I don't like the idea any better than you do, but it truly seems to be our only way out."

"Yeah. The clock sure ain't going backwards for us," Santa muttered. "So we gotta go. If you wanna keep sitting on your fat ass, then suit yourself – but I- ow! _OW_!" Santa's words turned into yelps when Lotus let out something close to a roar and grasped his hair, shaking his head back and forth. "OW! _Stop that_!"

"You!" Lotus snarled, her grip on his hair not even loosening. "You have no idea how _lucky_ you are that your scarf isn't around your neck anymore, because-"

"H-hey! Don't fight!" June called out, but they didn't even hear her.

"Enough! Enough!" Ace spoke up, sounding more than a little worried, and it was with some effort from his and Junpei's part that Santa and Lotus were finally separated. Lotus seemed still angry but somewhat satisfied, while Santa was grimacing and rubbing his head.

"Damn! You crazy old bi-"

" _Enough_ ," Ace repeated, his voice that of a long-suffering parent, and Santa finally shut his mouth, though he kept glaring death at Lotus. Ace sighed and turned back to the others. "Now. As we were saying, we have to go through these doors. I see no other option. We'll certainly meet again later if we are to open a door with a digital root of [9], so whatever teams we form are temporary – but we need to make two now. Is there anyone who-"

"Yeah," Clover immediately piped in, moving a step closer to Snake. "I want to go in with my brother."

Ace smiled. "Fair enough. Anything else-"

"Yes. I'm not going through any door with that man," Lotus immediately spoke up, warily looking at Nine; it looked like not even Seven's presence and the fact the guy was bound and likely more scared than all of them made her feel safe. Much to Junpei's surprise, Santa seemed to share the sentiment.

"Same here. I'll take the old hag over the nutcase any day of the week," he said with a shrug. Lotus glared at him, but said nothing.

"Very well," Snake said. "May I then suggest that myself, Clover, Ace, Seven and… do tell us, how should we call you? Will 'Nine' do, or you'd rather be called some other way?" he asked, cocking his head in Nine's general direction. The man seemed taken aback, and had to wet his lips with a shaking tongue before speaking.

"N-nine will do," he said.

"Very well. So, how about the five of us – number [1], [2], [4], [7] and [9] – go through door [5]? We'd have the correct digital root, and the rest of you – Junpei, June, Santa and Lotus – will have a digital root of [4]: exactly what you need to go through the other door."

There was a little more of talking, but no one was against it at all: it appeared the best solution for everyone. In the end it was decided that the group going through door [5] would go ahead first. Clover bracelet had already been scanned, so only four of them had to scan theirs. And so they did, Seven coming up last: he pressed his hand on the scanner panel and, as soon as he was registered, he grabbed Nine and slammed him, back first, against the device. Nine let out a whimper, more out of fear than anything, and Junpei couldn't blame him: being helpless in the hands of a giant of a man like Seven couldn't be fun.

Even though Nine could not lay his hand on the panel, pressing his tied hands and thus the bracelet close to it did they trick just as well – and, with a long, drawn-out metallic groan, the door opened to reveal a short hallway. They hesitated for a few moments, but Snake simply walked in. "Nine seconds before the door closes," he reminded them without even bothering to turn. "You're no planning on killing me, are you?"

"Oh. Right," Ace muttered, and after giving the other team a nod he walked in as well. Clover followed and Seven went in last, dragging Nine along.

"Stay safe," was all he said before the door closed behind them. Junpei immediately stepped forward to press an ear against the door. Santa followed suit, and after a few moments Junpei could clearly hear a sound coming from the other side – some sort of beeping.

Behind him, June bit her lower lip. "The detonator must have started…"

For a moment Junpei felt a stab of worry – what if they didn't find it on time? – but then he heard Ace's voice.

"It's here! Right next to the door!"

Junpei released a long breath when he heard, over the steady beeping, the sound of bracelets being verified: one, two, three, four times – and then there was a clang and a yelp, which was likely a sign Seven had once again resorted to his very own way to make Nine verify as well. Another few moments passed, and then…

…the nothing. The beeping noise stopped.

"It's okay! It stopped! We're all fine here!" Seven's voice reached them from the other side. Junpei gave a sigh of relief as both him and Santa stepped back from the door. He turned to June and smiled, if a little shakily.

"Heard that? They're okay."

She smiled. "Oh, good!"

Lotus looked relieved as well, but a lot more practical. "Then we should get going," she said, gesturing to the door with a red [4] on it.

Junpei nodded. "Yeah," he said, and turned to the door behind them. "We're going, too! See you later!"

"See you!" Clover's voice reached them, and that was it: they glanced at each other, nodded and moved towards Door [4] – with June never leaving Junpei's side.

He couldn't pretend he wasn't okay with that.


	2. Deception

After allowing themselves a few moments of relief – what the hell, they had just avoided blowing up – it was Seven the first one to glance at the end of the small hallway, to the only door leading out of there. "I think we should get going," he said, gesturing towards the door. "We've got less than nine hours to get out and hell knows how big this ship is. Don't know about you, but I don't wanna waste time."

Both Ace and Snake seemed to agree, and Clover definitely had no objections. Seven nodded at them and reached back to grab Nine's shoulder again – only that his fingers only met air. "What the…?" he began, scowling in anger, only to trail off when he realized Nine had not tried to run off – where could he possibly go anyway? – but was on the same spot he had been until a minute before; only that he was on his knees rather than standing, his whole body shaking and eyes wide behind cracked lenses. He was making no sound, but there was something about the look of absolute terror on his face as he stared at the walls around them as though seeing something they could not that made Seven pause for a moment. And not just him.

"What the…?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"What is it? Are you alright?"

The last one to speak was Ace, who had walked up to him and was crouching, and it was to his voice that Nine finally responded. He tore his gaze away from the wall like a child refusing to look at the closet a monster could come out from, and gave Ace a pleading look. "P-p-please, I-I want out. I w-w-w-want out! L-let me out! Please!"

The surprise fading, Seven snorted. "What the hell _is_ your problem now?" he asked, finally moving to help Ace getting that shivering mess of a man back on his feet.

Snake tilted his head on one side. "Perhaps he's claustrophobic. This is quite the closed space, is it not? He should feel better in a larger room."

Seven grunted. "Tough fucking luck – we're on a _ship_ ," he growled, but he did drag Nine – who wouldn't stop sniveling, damn him – through the corridor and to the door. He threw it open…

… And stopped in his tracks, stunned. "Well, _damn_ ," he heard himself muttering, his grip on Nine slackening for a moment.

"It appears to be a first class cabin," Ace commented from right behind him, sounding slightly amused by Seven's surprise. "Are you planning on letting us in as well?"

"Uh? Ah. Yeah, right," Seven muttered, walking past the doorway and inside the cabin to let the others in. The room was luxuriously decorated and looked good as new, but he barely paid attention to that: he simply threw Nine across the room and onto a large bed on the other side of the room. The man landed on it with a yelp, likely one more due to surprise than anything else: the landing sure had been soft.

"Seven, don't you think we should be less rough with him?" Ace pointed out with a frown. "What's going on rattled us all-"

"Yeah, and _he_ was the only one who went and held a kid at knife-point," Seven countered. Truth be told, there was another thing that added up to his anger that none of the others seemed to be aware of: the little bastard had managed to kick him in the nuts while he struggled to break free and damn him, that had hurt like _fuck_. "He landed on a bed, not on rock, so I'm treating him even too well."

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Clover tried to protest, but hardly anyone seemed to even hear her: Snake was speaking again, his hand resting on the door right past the bed, and both Seven and Ace turned their attention to him. As for Nine, he didn't seem to be listening to _anyone_.

"I suppose this is the way out," he said. "But there is something keeping the door closed, correct?"

And indeed, there was: some kind of odd, electronic lock with a red light on it, clearly keeping the door shut.

"Yeah," Seven said. "Looks like we'll have to find a way to unlock it. Maybe we should split – there are other doors over there. There's got to be a way to open it hidden somewhere."

Snake nodded. "Fair point. Come, Clover," he added, gesturing for her to follow, and a moment later they were gone through a door that, as far as Seven could see, led into another short hallway with another door at the end and another one on a side.

"Guess I'll search the other door. You stay where you are," he added, turning back to glare at Nine – who, to be fair, seemed to have no intention to go anywhere: he was still on the same spot he had landed, curled on one side and shaking. It was as though he had not yet recovered from… whatever had scared him back in the hallway. What the hell was _wrong_ with him?"

"Seven," he heard Ace calling out quietly, so quietly Nine could not hear him, "don't you think you're being excessively harsh to him? He's clearly unstable, perhaps he's supposed to be on some kind of medication and currently is not, and he's certainly more terrified than any other of us. He has been thrown into this situation just like we were; he's as much of a victim as we are, after all."

"Well…" Seven scratched his cheek, throwing another glance at Nine, and he had to admit that Ace had a point: the guy was so scared he was barely functioning, and scaring him further sure wouldn't help. Hell, he had been so out of it that he had tried to go through a door on his own even after reading a damn letter telling him he'd fucking blow up if he did: rational thinking sure had been well beyond his grasp when he had threatened Clover. Seven finally sighed. "Yeah, okay. Fine. But he stays tied up, okay? He lost control once already and I really don't want anyone to get hurt."

Ace nodded. "Of course. I'll search this bedroom myself, and I can grant you I won't untie him. I know the line between kindness and foolishness."

"Yeah. Well, be careful," was all Seven said before turning and walking out to join Snake and Clover in the search through the other parts of the huge cabin. He did not turn once, and thus he failed to see the self-satisfied smirk spreading on Ace's face.

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind Seven, Ace walked up to the bed. He didn't truly bother to look around, for he knew exactly what the solution to the puzzle was going to be and where to look for the different pieces, so he could spend the time he was supposed to spend searching more productively… namely, having a nice talk with Kubota – someone so useless that he didn't even have the good grace to _die_ when he was supposed to. Not that it was too much of a problem since his death was only delayed, for he was too dangerous to be allowed to live… but until then, he had to make sure he would think they were on the same side, had to think he could trust him.

Ace pasted a pleasant smile on his face and stopped right in front of the bed. "Teruaki," he called out, assuming that hearing his first name would make him feel safer, remind him he was dealing with someone he had known for many, many years.

Kubota – Nine – winced and looked up, apparently surprised to realized they were alone. He had probably been too busy moping to even realize the others had left. "S-sir, I… I'm s-sorry I d-didn't… I…!"

"Shh," Ace silenced him, bringing a finger to his lips to press the point home – he had to be _quiet_. "Quiet. The blind one seems to have a good hearing," he said, his voice little above a whisper. "It's alright. You failed to leave on your own, but no matter. We'll find a way around this. Now you just keep playing along and pretend you don't know me, nor what's going on. Is that clear?"

Kubota immediately nodded. "Y-yes. O-of course."

"Good. Trust me, and we'll be out of here before you know it," Ace said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone, then, "what was that, back in the hallway?" he asked, this time genuinely confused. He really could not figure out what in the world that had been about.

The smaller man shivered visibly at the mere memory. "A-ah, I… I d-don't know. I j-j-just… I felt s-sick, and s-scared, and… i-it was sudden, and I w-wanted out…" his voice faded, and he shivered again. "I d-don't want to go b-back there," he added, a pleading note in his voice.

Well, Ace thought, that settled it: Kubota was simply growing more and more unstable with each passing year. What a pitiful excuse of a man, he thought. Yet he was not defective the way _he_ was made, and the thought made him suddenly want to hit the pathetic runt – how _dare_ he function in a way he could not?

It was with great effort that he held back and smiled. "You won't have to. From this moment on we can only go ahead, remember? And so we will. Let me handle everything, pretend you don't know me and everything will be fine. Also, try behaving a little more normally. Try to look like you're sorry for losing control. The sooner they let their guard down around you, the better it is," he added.

 _The sooner they let their guard down around you, the more easily I can get you out of the way._

"A-alright," he heard Kubota murmuring, but he was no longer looking at him: he had walked up to the piano where, he knew, he would find one of the glass plates that were the key to the puzzle to leave that room. And it was right there, right where it should be. Ace took it and smiled: it looked like the puzzles were exactly the same as the experiment's, then.

"Good. Just remember," he added as he walked up to the door to show the plate to Snake, Seven and Clover, "you don't know me and know nothing of the Nonary Game. Play your part well, and it's as though we're out already."

He had no doubt that Kubota would believe him, and do exactly what he wanted him to do. He always did.

* * *

"So this is what we have to do? Play the piano?" Seven asked, frowning a little. While Ace was right and the plates on top of each other really _did_ form a musical sheet… what did music have to do with opening a lock?

"Apparently. The music sheets – plates – whichever – must be here for a reason, after all. It's well worth a try, I'd say," Ace commented, carefully holding the plates under his arm. "Only that I cannot play the piano, I'm afraid. I can read music sheets, but nothing past that. Anyone here can play? Clover?"

Clover shrugged. "I tried a few times, but I'm not really good. He is," she added, pointing up at Snake, who smiled.

"It has been a while, though. I may be a little rusty. Of course, I'll need someone to read me the notes. Would you use me this kindness, Ace?" he asked, tilting his head slightly on one side.

"Of course. Let's head back to the bedroom, then."

And with that they turned and walked back through the door and into the bedroom, with Clover following closely. Seven got in last, and he was surprised – but relieved – to see that Nine seemed to have calmed the fuck down. He was sitting instead of resting on his side, for starters, and he was no longer shaking. Oh, he was a long shot from the picture of mental health – his breathing was still irregular and his eyes twitched from one empty spot to the other, avoiding all of them – but he didn't look like he was on the brink of a nervous breakdown anymore.

"Are you feeling better, Nine?" Snake asked politely while Ace was still busy reading the notes. His voice caused Nine to wince, but he recollected quickly enough and spoke after drawing in a deep breath.

"Y-y-yes, I… I g-guess. I d-don't even know h-how long I've b-been here, a-and my p-pills are… I d-didn't take them since… I p-panicked earlier, but…" a pause, and he cleared his throat. "I'm s-sorry. A-and I'm sorry about… w-well…" he paused she squirmed a little, his eyes flickering in Clover's direction for just one moment before he looked down again.

Clover seemed taken aback by the sudden apology. "Ah," was all she could say for a moment, then she recoiled. "Oh. Well, it was a dick move, but-"

"Language, Clover," Snake spoke up, causing her to grin a little sheepishly.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. Look, it's fine," she added in Nine's direction, even though she clearly was still wary and not really willing to be closer than necessary to the guy. Not a surprise, considering the stunt Nine had tried to pull earlier; her willingness to shrug off what had happened was likely meant mostly to keep him from acting up again. "Nothing bad happened anyway. Right, Seven?"

Seven stared down at Nine for a few moments before speaking, and the smaller man barely dared to glance up at him for one moment before immediately turning his gaze back to the floor and squirming as though he was trying to shrink. Something about the guy unnerved him and he had tried to pull some pretty sick shit back at the staircase, but then again Ace had a point: the poor bastard was definitely unstable and more terrified than all of them put together. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, and good thing it didn't. Good to see you're calmer, too. So, are you really supposed to be on medication?"

Nine seemed to relax just a little at his calm tone, and nodded. "Y-yes. B-but I d-didn't have the p-pills on me when I woke up."

"So this Zero guy took your meds?"

"Y-yes. And… he also gave me t-the knife."

Seven blinked. "What, really?" he asked, his mind fumbling to wrap around the fact some kind of psycho had taken away an unstable guy's meds and given him a fucking _knife_ before throwing him in that damn game for survival. What kind of sick bastard…? "Have you met him? After being kidnapped?"

"A-ah, I… n-no," Nine replied, and Seven realized he managed to hold his gaze for a few more moments now: he was definitely calming down. "T-the knife was in my p-p-pocket when I woke up and looked for my p-pills. I'm s-s-sure it isn't mine."

"Well, _damn_. It's almost like this Zero bastard set you up to do something stupid," Seven muttered, and this time he couldn't find much of the fury that had filled him previously; not against Nine anyway, not now that he was clear that the guy was one of the victims in that big mess. Zero hadn't precisely put him into a car going down a hill after cutting the brakes, but it came way too close for Seven's tastes. "Look, here's the thing. Just stay calm and cooperate, and once we're out of here and reach civilization you'll get your meds. And we won't mention to anyone the incident earlier at the staircase. Deal?"

Nine blinked up at him, as though taken aback by the change of attitude – and yeah, Seven supposed he had been kind harsh, but what the hell, the guy had held a knife to a girl's throat – then he nodded. "D-deal."

Seven made an effort to give him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Good. We ain't untying you until we're out, though. Bet you can guess why."

Nine nodded. "Y-yes, I… t-think it's s-safer this way," he said, and Seven nodded, reaching down for him. Nine recoiled as though he thought he was about to get hit, but Seven just helped him back on his feet a lot less roughly than he had last time. He steadied him with one arm and turned back to Clover, Snake and Ace; they were all turned towards them. Even Snake, who obviously could not see anything.

"No problem for you, right?" Seven asked. "If we just forget to mention the incident at the staircase to authorities when we're out of here, I mean."

Ace chuckled. "Incident? I recall no such thing. Clover?"

She bit her lower lip, but eventually nodded. "Yeah. Fine with me. With us. Right?" she asked, glancing back at Snake. Her brother, who was already sitting at the piano, gave a half-smile.

"As long as no other incidents like that happen, I'm all for forgetting all about it myself. It won't happen again, will it, Nine?" he asked. He sounded seraphically calm, but there an underlying sense of threat beneath his words that didn't escape Seven.

Nine shook his head, then seemed to recall Snake was blind and spoke. "N-no, I promise. B-besides," he added with a shaky, somewhat tentative chuckle, "I w-wouldn't g-get to do much with my arms t-tied up."

Snake smirked. "Fair enough. I'm glad to know I won't have to teach you a lesson in physical pain," was all he said before turning back to Ace. "The notes, if you will."

"Oh. Of course. Let's see…" Ace murmured, looking down at the music sheet. "It's do, la, sol, do, fa, sol, la…" he began, but was interrupted by Snake's chuckle.

"Ah, Westminster. I do remember this one – no need to read the other notes, Ace," Snake said, and a moment later he was playing some sort of short tune. As soon as he was done there was a clack behind them, and Seven turned to see that the red light on the lock had turned green.

"The door's open! We can get out!" Clover said excitedly, a grin of triumph on her face. Both Ace and Snake smiled, clearly relieved.

"Well then. We should get going, shouldn't we?" Ace said.

Seven hummed. "Sure. Just give me a moment. Turn," he added, glancing back at Nine. The smaller man looked up at him somewhat fearfully, though he probably couldn't see that well with the right lens of his glasses cracked.

"W-what is it?"

"Nothing special. It will take a second," was all Seven said before making him literally spin and reaching down for his tied arms. "It will take a moment. Don't move. Really, _don't_ ," he said, and Nine immediately stilled. Seven worked quickly: he untied his arms just enough to allow him to move his shoulders into a slightly less constrictive position, then tied his forearms and wrists back together. The knots were just as secure as before and he still couldn't possibly free himself, but at least he could move his shoulders and was likely a lot less uncomfortable: the previous position he had been tied into forced him to arch back his shoulders. "Here," Seven finally said, stepping aside.

Nine tentatively rolled his shoulders, arching his upper back, and couldn't stifle a sigh of relief at the sensation. "T-thanks," he said, sounding genuinely surprised.

"You're welcome. C'mon, let's go," he said, resting a hand between Nine's shoulder blades to get him going, and they joined the others at the door and then through it.

* * *

"What the…?"

"A casino?"

"So it seems."

"Well, could be worse," Seven commented, glancing around. It was a pretty big casino, with a nice bar to boot; yeah, it definitely could have been worse. "Guess we should start looking around."

"I'll try my best," Snake said, amusement plain in his voice. Seven laughed.

"Haha, right. Sorry. But you get around pretty damn well anyway," he said, then glanced around to see several small tables with chairs all around them just ahead of them. He looked down at Nine. "How about you sit there while we search for clues?"

Nine shuck a glance up at him, as though still wary of his sudden effort to be civil to him, but in the end he nodded. "A-alright," he murmured, and let Seven lead him to the closest table. Ace, who was examining a small playing table on their left, let out a chuckle when he saw Nine sitting down.

"Does that make you a chairman?" he asked jokingly, but his smile faded a little when Seven, Nine and Clover turned to give him a blank look. "As in… well, you sat on a chair, so I suppose…" he cleared his throat. "Well, that was, of course, a joke."

"I was under the impression jokes were supposed to be amusing," Snake spoke up from the other side of the room, where he had been examining what looked like a card reader next to the closed door they were supposed to use to get out of there.

Ace dropped his shoulders with a sigh. "Now that was rather cruel," he muttered, but no one paid too much attention to that, for Snake was walking back up to them and explaining something interesting about the card reader.

"It is a rather peculiar one: there is more than one slot. I suspect we may need to obtain a digital root to open this door as well, but it certainly isn't our bracelets we need this time. Has any of you found anything of interest?

That seemed to make Ace forget about his disappointment over failing to be amusing. "Actually, yes. The table over there has a small slot with a card in it. It seems locked, so my guess is that we're supposed to get to the card by playing some game."

"Yeah, that must be it. Look, I found a card around," Clover said, pulling a playing card out of her pocket. "I'm sure there are others around. Let's start looking!"

Busy as they were solving the puzzles – damn, who would have known that being good with baccarat and slot machines would turn out to be a survival skill? – none of them paid the slightest attention to Nine for a while. Being entirely forgotten seemed to suit him just fine, though: by the time they had all the cards they needed to open the lock, he actually would have looked like a relatively normal individual hadn't it been for the fact one of his glasses' lenses was cracked and his hands were tied behind his back. Well, that, and the fact he kept staring ahead in silence, unmoving and unblinking. He was probably lost in his thoughts, whatever they may be. Seven didn't really think he wanted to know that.

"Hey, Nine," Clover called out, causing the man to wince. He blinked a few times and turned back to them.

"W-what is it?"

Snake held up the cards with a half-smile. "We believe we have all that's needed to open the door. Come with us, will you?"

"O-oh. Of course," Nine said quickly, and though with a little difficulty due to his tied arms he stood and walked up to them. He kept quiet while they put the cards in the slots to obtain the digital root – nine, of course, and Seven was starting to hate the damn number – that would open the door, kept quiet when the door's lock actually opened. He did let out a small gasp when Seven's hand grasped his shoulder again the moment they left the room and began moving down the stairs they found in front of them. He glanced up at Seven fearfully, and he just shrugged.

"So you don't fall if you stumble. It would suck crashing down the stairs without even getting to use your arms to stop the fall," he added, and Nine seemed even more taken aback by that explanation; it was as though he was still unable to wrap his mind around the fact none of them wanted to bathe in his blood.

"A-ah, right. T-thanks," he mumbled, quickly looking down to pay close attention to each step he took.

"No problem. Besides, this way it's easier to push you down if you act up. Just kidding, just kidding!" he added quickly when Nine stilled and let out a whimper. "Won't do that, I promise. C'mon, let's keep going."

Nine seemed still wary, at least judging by how tense he was, but since he didn't have much of a choice he sucked it up and kept walking downstairs, gradually relaxing when it became clear Seven wasn't up to push him. Still, when they made it to the end of the stairs – or how far down as they could go without ending up in the water, at least – Seven had to pretend he hadn't heard the guy's sigh of relief. He decided to focus on the long-ass hallway ahead of them instead, and on the doors on both sides. Way too many doors for his tastes.

"It appears to be a long hallway with dozens doors," Ace was saying behind him, to Snake's benefit most likely. "I certainly hope we won't have to search each of them."

Clover went to try one of the first door, probably hoping to find out they were all locked and that they wouldn't have to search any of those rooms, but no luck: the door opened to reveal a small, simple cabin with a bed and a sink.

"Well, damn," Seven muttered, and glanced back down the hallway. It was then that he noticed the large double door toward the middle of the hallway. "Hey, how about trying the big one over there first? Maybe we don't need to search these anyway, and we'd only waste ti-"

"Hey!"

Seven trailed off when a youthful voice called out from the other end of the hallway, and couldn't hold back a grin when his eyes found the source: it was Junpei, along with June, Santa – why was the guy rubbing his arms? Was he cold or what? – and Lotus.

"Great to see your mugs again," he called out, and both groups walked up to each other to meet halfway – right in front of the double door. For several minutes, though, the door was the last of their concerns: they were all too busy telling each other what they had found behind the respective doors, pretty damn glad to see they were all alive and well. In those minutes no one seemed to really pay any attention to Nine, either, and he just stood there in silence, Seven's hand firm behind his back. In the end it was Junpei to pay him attention first, just when Seven was about to lose his battle not to laugh and the idea of Santa kicking a grill after getting burnt.

"Was, uh, everything okay?"

Seven blinked at Junpei's words, then he realized that his eyes, along with those of the whole group that had gone through Door [5], had shifted on Nine, who cringed at the sudden attention. Seven gave him a pat on the shoulder that he hoped was reassuring, looked back at Junpei and nodded.

"Yeah, we did fine. Nine's sorry and won't bite again," he said with a shrug, hoping that joking over the whole ordeal would make the others a little less suspicious: it was clear that being stared at like that didn't work wonders on the guy's already precarious mental state. "Turns out Zero took away his meds. He'll stay tied up to be safe," he added quickly when he noticed Lotus' worried expression. "But he doesn't mean to stir up more trouble. So here's the deal we've got – he doesn't act up, and we don't mention the little incident at the staircase when we make it out. Clover's okay with it," he added as soon as Santa opened his mouth to speak. "So, are you?"

The reactions were mixed: Santa looked all the world like he had just been told to swallow a lemon, Lotus was still wary and Junpei looked unsure; June was the only one to nod and smile.

"Of course! That sounds like the best solution," she said, glancing at Nine. "I'm glad to see you're doing better."

That seemed to take Nine by surprise, for he blinked a couple of times before looking away and replying. "A-ah, I… t-thanks," he murmured. He still would not meet her or anyone's gaze, but he seemed reasonable calm. At least by his standards.

"As long as he keeps away from me," Lotus muttered without even bothering to keep her voice low, and Santa just shrugged, glaring down at his shoes. Junpei tried to make up for that with a slightly forced chuckle.

"Well, all's fine anyway, right? I mean, Clover's okay, you're in one piece and all is well," he said, but his words only had the effect of making Nine wince. Seven couldn't say he blamed him: it can't be nice being reminded you almost walked to your gruesome death.

Maybe sensing how uncomfortable that made the guy, Ace spoke up. "Now, I believe it's time for us to keep going. Shall we try this door?" he asked.

Everyone looked away from Nine – who, Seven noticed, seemed to relax remarkably when no longer at the center of attention – and to the large double door in front of them.

"Can't see why not," Santa muttered. "It sure sticks out, doesn't it? Could as well have written 'try this one' on it."

Junpei nodded. "Okay, gonna open it. Ready?"

Truth be told, Seven _was_ ready to watch the kid opening the door; what he wasn't really ready for was seeing what was beyond it.


	3. Drugged

"Very well then. We'll split up to look for the missing parts, then come back here to meet up next the time clock strikes the hour. Is that alright with all of you?"

Ace's words were spoke calmly, but seemed to echo somewhat eerily in the huge hospital room. All of them nodded, Seven included – though he did shoot another glare at Lotus while she wasn't looking. No matter what she said, he was still rather sure that ship may have something to do with the Titanic's twin – the Gigantic. It made sense, didn't it?

…Well, maybe it didn't really made sense, but it was at least an explanation for the fact that huge-ass ship that seemed to have come from another century. Of course, it may be a coincidence… but a part of Seven was convinced that he was right and that it was the Gigantic. The reason why escaped him, since he sure had never seen the ship. Or had it? How could he tell? If only he could remember…!

"But what about Nine?"

June's voice snapped Seven from his thoughts, and caused everyone's head to turn to Nine. Everyone seemed to have forgotten his presence until that moment, and it sure hadn't been hard: they had been checking out the REDs and then arguing about the ship, while Nine had just aside without saying a word or making a noise. Yeah, Seven thought, he was easy to forget about.

The sudden attention caused Nine to cringe and look away. "I-I… I c-could help look f-for…" he began, but was cut off by Santa's snort.

"Like hell," he snapped. "After the stunt you pulled we're not untying you, and it's not like you can search a room with your hands tied up."

"He could help me search," Ace suggested helpfully. "Two people can search a room more quickly than one, and even if he, er, lost control again, I'm fairly sure I keep him under control. What do you think?"

"That it's stupid-ass idea," Santa muttered. "Fairly sure isn't enough. You're bigger, but this bastard's slippery as an eel. If he causes trouble again we'll end up wasting time, and we've got little enough of that."

"I agree with him for once," Lotus said, looking at Nine with suspicion. "I don't want this guy wandering around with his hands untied. I'm sure Clover and Snake don't, either."

With a nod, Snake reached to put a hand on Clover's shoulder. "Yes, you are correct. I have no doubt Nine means no harm," he said with a serene smile in Nine's general direction, "but he did prove himself unstable and Clover was almost harmed because of it. I'd rather him stay bound unless the situation absolutely calls for another pair of hands. Do you agree?" he asked, tilting his head towards the spot where Junpei and June stood. June nodded, and so did Junpei.

"Yeah. They've got a point, Ace. We have little time, and if he has another, uh,moment like the one before we could waste too much of it. It's not like we really need him to search," he said.

Ace chuckled. "Well then, I see I'm greatly outnumbered. I won't push the issue further. What should we do with him, then? Seven?"

Seven glanced at Nine, who was still standing on the same spot and avoiding their gazes. He felt somewhat sorry for him – being treated like a dangerous animal while he was clearly even more scared than everyone else in that room couldn't be fun – but on the other hand… on the other hand, the others had made good points: the guy was unstable, and could be both unpredictable and dangerous. Sure, he was unarmed now… but it would be safer for everyone, including Nine himself, if stayed tied up.

"Nine," Seven called out, causing him to wince and finally look up at him. He looked somewhat lost, but reasonably in control. "You'll wait for us here. We'll, uh… I'll tie to one of the beds, okay? Try to get some rest until we get back," he said. He didn't really like the idea of doing that, but he could wander off otherwise, and looking for him could cause further delay. Nine didn't like it, either: it wasn't hard to guess.

"D-do I have to…?" he asked weakly, his gaze moving through the huge, sinister room. He shivered, and Seven couldn't blame him. It wasn't a nice place to be left alone. "W-what if… what if Z-Z-Zero shows up?"

Damn, that was something Seven hadn't thought of… nor had the others, judging from their expressions. All of a sudden, leaving him behind didn't seem like such a good idea. Until Snake spoke, that was it.

"I don't think we should worry about that." Everyone's eyes shifted on Snake, who shrugged and went on as though he had sensed their gazes. "Think about it. Zero wants us to play, and is likely not going to interfere. Why create such a system otherwise?"

"System?" June repeated, looking rather puzzled. Snake gestured to his wrist.

"I'm referring, of course, to our bracelets. And to the RED and the DEAD, too. Together, they are all that is needed to enforce this game's rules; they're jury, judge and, if needed, executioner. This game is designed to be ran without any kind of external supervision or intervention; that's why I don't think Zero would interfere. Why created something like this otherwise?"

Snake's reasoning made sense to Seven, and judging from the comments and nods that ensued it made sense to the others, too. He turned to Nine, and he could tell he didn't think quite the same way: he didn't look relieved in the slightest. Seven walked up on him and put a hand on his shoulder; the other man winced, but he didn't try to pull back.

"We'll leave the door open," Seven promised, "so that if anything happens all you'll need to do is shout for us. Someone will hear and come here. Okay?" he said. Truth to be told he wasn't so sure he would be heard – if they all were distant enough and inside the rooms they were searching it was likely they wouldn't – but Snake was right: Nine was likely in no danger if he stayed on his own for a while, and he needed to be reassured to make sure he'd cooperate.

Nine licked his dry lips, his eyes darting somewhere on Seven's left, then he drew in a shuddering breath and gave a nod that was little more than a nervous jerk of his head. "O-okay."

"Good. Let's go." Nine followed him meekly enough to the closest bed, and stayed still while Seven untied his arms. Seven allowed him a few moments stretch and rub his arms before gesturing for him to sit on the thin mattress. He obeyed, and before long both of his hands were securely tied to the bedpost, well apart so that he couldn't try to undo the knots. When Seven stepped back, now towering over him even more, he took notice of the fact he now looked even more vulnerable.

"Done. You can both sit or lie down, whatever you prefer. It won't be too long. Try resting a bit meanwhile, okay? You look like you need it," he said.

Nine seemed surprised by Seven's effort to reassure him, and stared up at him for a few moments with something akin to confusion before nodding and looking down. "A-alright."

"Good. See you in a bit," Seven said, giving Nine's shoulder a light pat before walking with the others out of the room and into the hallway. He turned once before heading off to search his share of rooms, enough to see Nine had shifted to lie down, his face buried in the thin mattress so that he wouldn't have to see the hospital room, nor the huge numbered doors.

* * *

Time passed slowly, so slowly that it seemed not to pass at all: it's hard to keep track of it when you're tied down in a room with no clock, only able to listen to the occasional metallic groan coming from the depths of the ship – but it was fake, all of it, it had to be because the Gigantic had sunk and they could only be in Building Q, they had to be there – and your own heartbeat.

Kubota didn't mind listening to it, though: it meant he was alive. Granted, he had never been in real danger: the bomb wouldn't have set off and killed him had he managed to go through Door [5] – because Hongou said it wouldn't and he believed him, why shouldn't he? Hongou was always the one in charge and he had a solution for everything, he could stay calm and cold and make plans when Kubota himself couldn't even make himself think – and Hongou wouldn't have let the others kill him, he was sure of it.

Of course he had to pretend he didn't know him and couldn't really defend him, because he needed the other players to trust him now that they knew that 'Nine' couldn't be trusted, but if he got in real danger… then he would have acted, Kubota was sure of it. He would have helped him. Hongou was on his side, he would tell himself when the silence became too much to bear, Hongou had a plan, Hongou would make sure they'd make it out, Hongou would let nothing go wrong. It was a reassuring knowledge, and it almost managed to chase away his terror at the thought of what could happen if they didn't win that game, of what the other players could do to him, of what Zero could do to him.

Zero.

The mere thought caused Kubota to shiver, feeling as though the room's temperature had suddenly dropped. He had barely seen a glimpse of him, a black figure clad in a black robe and a gas mask, before the Soporil he had inhaled made effect and made him lose consciousness. He knew that was a vision that would stay in his nightmares, should he live long enough to have any.

Who could that be? It was someone who knew of the Nonary Project, no doubt. One of Gordain's heirs, maybe? No, that would make no sense: they were their allies and allowed Cradle to access to the necessary funds to create the Nonary Game to begin with, so why would they put them through another?

No, it had to be someone else. That man, Snake – he had been one of the subjects, he was sure of it. Kubota had never even looked at them, since his role in the project didn't require him to meet them, but he distinctly recalled that one of the experiment's subjects was a blind boy… a blind boy that would now be roughly the same age as Snake. It couldn't be a coincidence, which meant that his sister had taken part to the experiment, too. Yet neither of them had brought it up, and acted like they knew nothing of how a Nonary Game worked.

They're involved somehow. They must be. They must want revenge. They must know I had a role in it, or else I wouldn't be here. But what will they do with me? Do they want to kill me? Will they come to kill me now?

The thought alone they could do just that while he was tied down and helpless, leaving him no time to scream for help, made him whimper and shut his eyes tighter.

But it wouldn't happen, he told himself. It wouldn't happen because when Seven had said he'd tie him up and Kubota had looked at Hongou for advice, Hongou had nodded. A small nod, sure, so that no one else would notice, but a nod it was and that had settled it. If Hongou was alright with that, he had told himself then and was telling himself now, then he was safe. Hongou would know what to do, he alwaysknew what to do, and he only had to do as he said, always. By now he probably knew whether the blind man and his sister were behind it all, too.

Were they? It seemed logical, but if they were then why would they put themselves among the players? And why kidnap him and Hongou alone? Why not Nijisaki and Musashidou as well? And why involve people who had absolutely nothing to do with the Nonary Project? Or had the others been subjects, too? But then how would Lotus and Seven figure, since the experiment had only used children as subjects?

The thought Seven was not likely to be involved in any plan for revenge was more reassuring than he had expected: the man was huge and strong, so strong that back at the staircase he had really thought he'd just snap him in two in his anger, and he could pose a serious threat even to Hongou. Out of all the other players, he was the very last one Kubota would want to have against. But he hadn't acted at all like he hated his guts for what he had done, had he? Well, not after some time, at least: after his anger for his attempt at going off ahead as Hongou had instructed him to do he faded, he had actually been of help. Considering that he could smother him with no more effort than he'd need to swat a fly, that was… reassuring enough.

The first thought in Kubota's mind when he had awakened into that nightmare had been that the other players would be his enemies, of course they'd be, and they'd kill him at the first occasion they got so that they could get out because that was what people did – and he was too weak to put up much of a fight against most of them, he knew that much. Seeing Hongou there had been an unspeakable relief because he knew he would help him, he knew they were on the same side, heknew he would have some plan ready. He knew he would be on his side as no one else would ever be.

Still, Seven had been kinder than expected; all of them had, truth to be told – they hadn't killed him or left him behind after the stunt he had pulled, a fact that still boggled his mind – but Seven had seemed concerned and had even helped him down the stairs to make sure he wouldn't stumble and fall with his hands tied. It may be an act – yes, it may be, and that kindness hadn't gone as far as untying his hands – but he would make such an useful ally that Kubota wanted to believe it wasn't.

Kubota wondered if Hongou would be able to talk him into helping them out: he had to realize he would make an useful ally, and with his bracelet number they could go through Door [8] as soon as they found the REDs' missing parts. If Hongou could do that and find the missing parts first, they could go right away and be well ahead of the other players. Or maybe he had a a different plan? Maybe he'd come to untie him first, while the others were searching, and then… then he'd probably come out with a plan, because Hongou always had some sort of plan. Always. And then… then…

Lost in his thoughts, his face still burrowed against the mattress, Kubota never heard the sound of light steps approaching. He did feel a faint prickly sensation on the back of his neck, but barely even noticed it, and kept trying to think what Hongou's next move may be. Trying to, because thinking was starting to become more and more difficult – his thoughts blurring and mingling before starting to fade out. He felt light-headed and very, very drowsy. He tried to shift, to lift his head, but it felt heavy. His eyelids seemed to weight a ton, too, and he couldn't force his eyes open.

"Try resting a bit meanwhile, okay?" Seven's voice said somewhere in the back of his head, just as he had said when he had reached to give his shoulder a reassuring pat, so utterly different from the painfully tight grip he had trapped it into right after his attempt at going ahead had failed.

You look like you need it, he had said, and it was true: he really needed rest for a few minutes, to forget all about what was going on and… and…

He didn't get to finish that thought: on moment later he was slipping into nothingness.

* * *

Hongou was smiling a very, very ugly smile when he pulled the needle from the back of Kubota's neck. He took a few moment to make sure that there was no blood coming from where he had pierced the skin – there wasn't – and that there was enough Soporil left in the syringe for him to use should he have further need of it – there was.

He could have used it up to kill Kubota with it, but he could find only one vial and he may still have need of some Soporil. Perhaps it wouldn't be enough to put to sleep the mountain of a man Seven was, he reasoned, but it would slow him down considerably… and a sluggish opponent can be killed easily enough, regardless the size. Especially if he could take the knife Seven still had in his pocket: once he had that, he could deal with him and then with the others, one by one.

But now it was someone else he had to take care of, and his time was limited.

Hongou put the syringe and empty vial back in his pocket and turned his attention on Kubota. His face was pressed against the mattress already when he had walked in, so sneaking up to him and injecting him with Soporil had been very, very easy. And now he was deep asleep, still tied to the bed with his face buried in the mattress. It wouldn't be hard, Hongou reasoned, putting a hand on the back of that pathetic runt's head and press it down. He wouldn't wake up, the Soporil would see to it, and he wouldn't struggle: he'd suffocate, plain and simple, dying in silence without even knowing it. And once the others saw him, they would see no mark indicating he had even been killed.

Maybe the stress killed him, Hongou would suggest with a shake of his head and a saddened expression. You saw how terrified he was. Maybe something frightened him, a noise or just his imagination, who knows, and his heart gave in. Poor man. If only we allowed him to search with us instead of leaving him here alone…!

With a smirk, Hongou reached down to put a hand on the back of Kubota's head and began pressing down. A few minutes, he thought, a few minutes and he'd be certain Kubota would never be able to tell—

"Nhhg…"

The groan had been faint, but to Hongou's ears it sounded loud as a shout. His first reaction was pressing down harder on the back of Kubota's head to silence further noises, mentally cursing himself for not giving him enough Soporil – but then there was another groan, and Hongou realized it had not come from Kubota.

It came from right behind him. He pulled back his hand as though Kubota's hair had caught fire and turned around, his heart in his throat.

It was Snake, walking toward him with staggering steps. He seemed sluggish, his mouth hanging open without any apparent reason and only incoherent noises leaving it, but it was him: his clothes set him clearly apart from the others. "Snake?" Hongou heard himself calling out, forgetting all about Kubota to stare at him in confusion. What was wrong with him?

There was another groaning noise, but no real reply. It was as though Snake was trying to speak but was unable too. He took a few more staggering steps forward, then stopped and simply stood there, silent.

He's drugged, Hongou thought. He had to be drugged, or… could he have slipped and hit his head? He was blind, so perhaps that may have happened. Silly as it sounded, it wasn't like he could think of many explanations for what he was seeing: Snake, staggering around, unable to even talk and… and…

And defenseless, Hongou's mind supplied. Completely defenseless.

He was one of the subjects. He knows about the Nonary Game and yet keeps quiet about it. He must be hiding something. And even if he isn't, he may speak. He's a bigger danger than even Kubota is. He must go.

And now he was just as vulnerable as Kubota.

Hongou's eyes shifted from Snake to the numbered doors, namely on Door [3], and the on the RED's components he had found in one of the rooms he had searched – Zero hadn't even bothered to hide them well – and that he had left on a bed before going straight for Kubota. Then, slowly, he began smiling.

"Come, Snake," he called out, his voice calm and low, and walked up to Snake to grab his arm. He led him to the closest bed, Snake following him meekly and without speaking, and made him sit.

"Wait here a moment," he said affably, and then went to put the missing pieces of the REDs back in place. Even though he knew nothing would accuse him should anyone walk in right then – he had found the missing parts and was putting them in place, that was all, while Nine slept and Snake seemed confused for some reason he couldn't imagine – what came next… well, it wouldn't be easy to explain should he be caught on the act. Oh, he was fairly sure no one would walk in since they were still all out searching for the parts he had already found and time was not up yet, but there was still a possibility someone would be back sooner for whatever reason, and thus being quick couldn't hurt.

He was no Kubota, but he could put the missing parts back and reactivate the REDs easily enough. And, once all the REDs were ready to work, once Door [3] was ready to be opened, it was time for Hongou to choose.

Throwing both Snake and Kubota through the door and to their death was tempting, of course, so very tempting, for he'd be rid of two very real threats in one go. But he knew better than doing that: if he did, he may as well write his guilt on his forehead for everyone to see. It would have taken the others no more than a moment to realize who had opened the door with them.

He also considered suffocating Kubota as he had previously planned to do and use his bracelet to throw Snake in, but he decided against it. While not quite as obvious as the previous idea, it would likely seem too much of a coincidence. Not only that, but the other would notice the bracelet was no longer on Kubota's wrist and realize he may have used it to open the door with Snake. He couldn't even put it back on Kubota once the deed was done: the bracelet wouldn't close again if it detected no heartbeat.

Things being as they were, Hongou knew there was only one relatively safe solution: kill one of them and save the other for later; get rid of the biggest threat and then take care of the other. And Snake was the biggest threat there. He probably knew less of his past than Kubota did, yes, but while Kubota was certainly not involved in what was going on there was a good chance that Snake was. And even if he wasn't, he was more likely to speak of the Nonary Project than Kubota: while Hongou didn't trust Kubota to keep quiet for too long, he knew he could make him hold his tongue for at least some more time… a control he did not have on Snake.

Yes, he thought, Snake had to go now; Kubota would follow later. Of course there was the fact that Snake's death – if he really died, for he still wasn't completely sure whether or not Zero's words on the bombs had been an empty threat – would make Kubota realize that he had been lied to, but it didn't worry Hongou too much. For all his genius, the man was a dependent fool; his need to rely on someone he knew would be stronger than any doubts. And Hongou would make sure to act very shocked when Snake's death happened, so that Kubota would think he had beenwrong rather than lying.

He would never doubt me. Never. And he won't see his death coming until it's too late. Much like Snake.

With one more glance at Snake, who was still sitting where he had left him with his head held low and mouth gaping open, Hongou quickly went to untie Kubota.

It was so easy, almost laughably so: Kubota was so thin and light that dragging his unconscious form, putting his hand on the scanner panel and then leaning him down on the floor took no more than a minute. And then, when he went to take Snake's arm to pull him to the door as well, he stood and followed in silence, clearly not even understanding what was going on around him. Hongou only had to make him put his hand on the scanner panel, put his own hand on it, and then pull the lever.

The door opened like the maw of a hungry beast, and Hongou's smile was very close to beastly as well. He put his hand on Snake's back and pushed, and the next moment the man was tumbling in side with no more than a small, surprised noise. He landed on his back and feebly tried to get back up… but it was too little, and too late: he was still on the floor, trying to speak and holding out a hand for him, when the door closed with a clang that Hongou could only hope had not been heard.

And then the beeping sound started: Hongou could hear it, if faintly, through the thick metal. For a moment he wondered what would happen if all of that turned out to be a bad joke, if there were no bombs inside any of them, but it was too late to wonder now. And he couldn't linger to listen, either: he had to put Kubota back in place and tie him up again before anyone walked in.

No one did, and he could put Kubota back on the bed and then tie him down with the same knots Seven had used; he had just started tying his right hand to the bedpost when he heard it, muffled by more than just one door but unmistakable – an explosion.

For a moment Hongou forgot all about Kubota and just turned back to Door [3], almost forgetting how to breathe as well. The eighty-one seconds had ran out, and an explosion had happened. So it that had been no empty threat, Hongou thought with equal parts of wonder, satisfaction and nervousness: that game truly was deadly, as the first Nonary Game had been… though never as much as Gordain's Game.

Oh, no. Never like it. Gordain's Game was something else entirely. No scientific purpose: only slaughter.

But that did not matter, Hongou thought as he turned his attention back on Kubota and quickly tied both his hands back to the bedpost: he had won Gordain's Game, so he could and would win the Nonary Game, too. He hadn't lived through Gordain's Game to lose at one that was of his own design, after all. He would be victorious once more, he would come out alive once again.

"But you, old friend… you will not. Not this time," Hongou said very quietly, finally stepping away from the bed where Kubota lay, once again bound and still unconscious. He had saved that man's pathetic life once, many years before; taking it back to protect himself now was his right as far as he was concerned. For a brief moment Hongou wondered if Nijisaki would have done the same: Kubota had owed him his life as well that one day, in what felt like another lifetime. Perhaps he would, perhaps not. Nagisa was a practical man, but he had had a soft spot for the terrified kid they had been stuck with through most of Gordain's Game.

The thought of Nijisaki made him uneasy, and he wondered – not for the first time, truth to be told – how come he had not been kidnapped as well. Or perhaps he had been: perhaps he was the witness Zero spoke of in his letter. Still, it seemed unlikely: Zero had likely observed them for a long time before acting, and he would know that giving him his right-hand man as the so-called witness would only mean giving him an ally.

If Nijisaki was the one in the Captain's quarters, Hongou thought, then they would win their way out once again, just like old times.

And if it was not… then it would be a threat, and he would deal with it just as he had dealt with Snake. Hongou looked back at Door [3] and gave a feral smile.

Either way, I win.

* * *

"Nine, can you hear me? Nine? Nine!"

It was that voice, loud and booming, that made his mind stir from within a deep black hole of nothingness. He couldn't quite place it at first, same as he couldn't tell where he was, what time it was, what was going on. And he wasn't interested in knowing any of it, really: he only wanted the voice to go away and let him sleep.

"Nine!"

That's not my name. Leave me alone.

But neither the voice nor its owner went away. If anything the voice grew louder, and someone was shaking him to hard that his teeth chattered. The noise seemed to echo into his head.

"Nine! For fuck's sake, wake up!"

I don't want to, Kubota wanted to say, but he could not: when he tried to open his mouth to speak it felt like it had been stuffed with cotton, and only a pitifully weak noise left him. He tried to shift, to get away from the grasp of… of whoever was holding him up, so that he could curl up and go back to slee—

Whack.

The blow was sudden, and had the effect a bucket of cold water could have. The sudden stinging sensation on the left side of his face didn't quite jerk him awake right away, but it did clear his mind some; enough to know where he was, what had happened, why he was being called that… and who was it it was speaking.

With what felt like an awful effort, Kubota managed to open his eyes. It felt as though each lid weighted a ton. Then his eyes cracked open and he could see, if barely – his glasses, he thought dizzily, he was not wearing his glasses, and he had also been untied and was resting on his back – several faces above his; one especially was closer than the others, heavily scarred and immediately recognizable.

"S-S-Seven," he managed, only then realizing how horribly thirsty he was.

Above him, Seven smiled. "So you're alive. Good. You got us worried for a while. So, what happened?"

Kubota blinked, still confused, then tried to squint to see him more clearly. "Happened?" he repeated. He tried to sit up, but his head spun and he would have fallen back down hadn't Seven's hand reached to support his upper back. "W-what…?"

"Are you really saying you didn't see anything?" someone behind Seven – Lotus – spoke, folding her arms on her chest. "That you were here the whole time and didn't even see who put the REDs' missing parts back on? That you just sleptthrough it?"

The anger and mistrust in her voice was enough to make Kubota wince. He dared to take a look at the others and, while he couldn't see them clearly without his glasses, he could tell they were just as suspicious as she was: their mouths were all pulled into tight lines, and they stared at him in silence. Even Hongou.

Kubota swallowed and turned back to Seven. "I-I… I have n-no idea… I d-d-didn't see a-anything! I—"

"Yeah, how convenient," Santa snapped, causing him to trail off with a wince, then he turned to the others. "First the shit he pulled with Clover, and now this. Don't know about you, but I don't trust this guy as far as I can throw him."

"But he was bound, just as we left him. He can't have been the one to put the missing parts back on," June said reasonably, and Kubota was relieved to see both Junpei and Hongou nodding at her words.

"But he must have seen something!" Santa countered. "He must!You don't justsleep through this kind of shit! And now he refuses to tell us—"

"Have you thought that he may have been drugged?" Hongou spoke up, his voice quiet but authoritative as always, and that was a wonderful relief, because he wasstill on his side and he would help him out of that mess, help him out of there. "Most people don't usually require a blow to be awakened, Santa."

Santa snorted. "How do we know he wasn't faking it?"

"Now you're kinda reaching," Junpei muttered, looking down at Kubota. "Just lookat him, okay? He's still half asleep and he barely reacted when Seven hit him. That would take some great acting skills, and he… well, he has none."

"Junpei's got a point," Seven said, his hand still holding up Kubota's upper back. "I think Ace is right. Whoever put the REDs' components back must have drugged him. Don't you remember anything at all? Maybe someone walked in. Before you… fell asleep. Maybe it was Zero. Did you hear or see anything? Maybe you think you imagined it, or…?"

Kubota swallowed and shook his head. "N-no, I… I saw no one," he said truthfully, his head spinning. Had he really been drugged? It certainly felt like it. By who? Zero? Had it really been Zero? Had he stood just right there where Seven was now, looking down at him as he lay helpless? The thought made him shiver. "No one," he repeated, desperately trying not to think of how easily Zero may have killed him. And why hadn't he? If he wanted revenge, then why…?

Seven's voice snapped him from his thoughts. "So you didn't see Snake either, did you?"

Kubota blinked. Snake? He looked around, squinting to see better, and he realized that the young man was not there. "N-no, I… I d-didn't… where…?"

"We don't know," a low, flat voice reached his ears. Kubota turned to see Clover a few steps from the bed. He couldn't see her expression without glasses, but her shoulders were oddly slumped, and she was staring at the floor. "He… he's missing. We looked for him everywhere, but he's… not here. Maybe he was drugged, too!" she exclaimed, taking a few steps closer and staring at Kubota. "Zero may have taken him! You must know something! Anything! Maybe something you saw, maybe… can't you remember anything?" she asked, a pleading note in her voice.

Kubota shook his head. "N-no, I… I didn't see anything. I'm s-sorry, I…" he paused and swallowed, his mind reeling. Could it be a coincidence that he had been drugged, and when he woke up the missing parts were back and Snake was missing? Did it mean he was Zero, after all? It seemed to make sense, but then why disappear leaving his sister behind? And why hadn't he killed him – one of the men behind the Nonary Project – when he had a chance?

"We didn't."

Junpei's words startled him out of his thoughts, as they seemed to startle everyone else. They all turned to look at him, and he met their gazes, his mouth set to a grim line. "We didn't look for him everywhere. Not really," he said. He didn't need to say anything more: the next instant everyone's eyes were shifting on the numbered doors, and a heavy silence fell in the room.

Without glasses, Kubota could have almost believed that the red paint marking them was blood.


	4. Doubt

"Nine? Oh, c'mon, not _again_. Nine!"

"Nhhh…"

It took several moments for Kubota to realize he was being shaken, and a few more to open his eyes. There was an odd sense of déjà vu as he saw Seven's face above him; he needed a few more instants to realize that was because the same had happened only… how long ago? Had he fallen asleep again? He had, apparently: last thing he recalled was listening to the others arguing about Snake's possible whereabouts, and his head had started to feel heavy again and he had decided to rest his eyes for just another minute. He still felt rather dizzy, which he supposed meant that whatever drug had been used to sedate him was still in his system.

"H-How long…?" he managed, sitting up. This time he was able to do so without Seven's hand on his back.

"No more than fifteen minutes. Didn't even have to slap you this time. Think you can stand?" Seven asked.

He could, even though he felt rather dizzy. He tried to take a few steps and, while Seven's hand on his shoulder was a welcomed reassurance, it turned out he didn't need it: his legs didn't fail him. Just as Seven pulled back his hand, Kubota looked around to see the other players standing a few steps from them. Clover was staring off in the distance, no expression on her face. All of the others looked rather grim, and Hongou…

Wait. Where _was_ Hongou?

"Are you feeling alright, Nine?" Hongou's voice reached him, and the fear that had caused his stomach to clench vanished. He was still there, Kubota thought as he turned to see Hongou sitting on one of the beds behind him, and he was still on his side.

"Y-yes, I… I'm f-fine. But why…?" Kubota asked, now realizing that it was Hongou himself the others were looking at with such grim expressions. Why were they looking at him like that?

"… We can't keep looking for Snake. Wherever he is, it's not here. We need to get moving," someone else spoke – Lotus. "But we can't all go through these doors. One of us needs to stay behind, and… Ace volunteered."

"But he should have to!" June spoke up, close to tears. "Ace, please – we'll think of some other way!"

Hongou shook his head. "We already talked about this. There is none. One of us has to stay behind for the rest to go ahead. Actually, the more time we waste, the less time there will be for you to come back and rescue me. Please, do go ahead."

"But…!" June started, and looked around helplessly. Everyone avoided her gaze.

"Can't say I like it, but he's got a point," Seven muttered.

"B-but…!" Kubota started, his stomach clenching at the thought. He knew very well how things went from there: all of those doors would lead back to the hospital room eventually, once the people inside had gone through the puzzles and made it out. He knew that there was no danger for Hongou, and that he'd be able to join them again soon… still, the thought of going through even one door on his own with the rest of them terrified him. Hongou turned his gaze to him and smiled.

"There is no need to worry for me, Nine. Just go. Do as Seven says," he told him. And that helped, it _did_ , because if Hongou said he should go then there was no doubt in his mind that he'd be safe. They'd go through the puzzles and then they'd be back to find Hongou waiting. There was no reason for him to worry.

"O-of course," he finally managed.

"Great. How about we stop wasting time and just go ahead, then? We're still wasting a lot of time here," someone grumbled behind him – Santa. He was scowling, and Kubota noticed that he had his scarf back around his neck. Now that he thought about it, his arms were no longer tied up. He held up his hands and glanced at Seven. "A-aren't you going to…?"

"Tie you up?" Seven finished, reaching up at scratch his cheek. "Well, no. You were already drugged once. Don't really want to make you totally helpless again as long as I can keep an eye on you anyway. Unless you're into that sort of thing, I mean," he added, and grinned.

"W-Wha…? N-no! I-I…I…!" Kubota protested. As he sputtered and stammered, Seven laughed.

" _Hah!_ I was just kidding, Nine. Just kidding," he said, giving his shoulder a powerful – and rather painful – pat. He turned back to Ace, his expression sobering. "We'll go now. We'll try to make it out as quickly as possible. I hope we can manage to come back to take you out, but… I wouldn't bet on it."

Hongou smiled. "I would. Stay safe," he said, and his eyes lingered on Kubota for one moment more than necessary.

* * *

Hongou couldn't hold back a smirk when both doors closed, leaving him alone in the hospital room. Had had to admit that watching those faceless fools arguing on whether or not they should leave him behind – as though his life was important to any of them – was amusing. He was curious to see how they'd react when they walked right back in there; until then, he could only wait and hope Kubota wouldn't let anything slip.

That was a gamble, he had to admit, but not an overly risky one: that pathetic runt trusted him well past the point of idiocy, and he was afraid of everybody else. He certainly wouldn't want those strangers to know who he was and what he role he played in the original Nonary Game.

Of course he was going to need some reassurance if they found Snake's body – they wouldn't for now thanks to his decision to stay behind, but someone may think of checking behind Door [3] regardless; Clover, perhaps – but that wasn't going to be a problem. He'd tell him it was a honest mistake and he'd believe him, as he always did.

Hongou settled on one of the beds, readying himself for the wait. At first he had thought of using Soporil on himself, but it would have been too risky after drugging Kubota. Someone would have imagined he may have used it to drug him, and that along with the digital root needed to open Door [3] would have meant spelling his guilt for everyone to see.

Fooling all those _monkeys_ for another while was well worth some boredom.

* * *

It took Seven less than a few moments to decide that he really didn't like what was behind Door [7]: just enough time for them to verify on the DEAD and for Clover to peer past the screen that hid half the room from sight before she let out a piercing shriek. A shriek that caused Junpei to wince, Nine to let out a startled gasp and Seven to decide that no, this room wasn't going to be fun to go through. At all.

When he looked past the screen as well, he could see exactly what had frightened Clover: a human form lying across an operating table, illuminated by a set of bright operating lights.

"Wh- What the hell is this?!" he blurted out. Next to him, Junpei seemed just as taken aback.

"Is…is this a corpse!?"

Nine said nothing at all, just staring at the operating table, and Seven was grateful for that. They really could do without him panicking, he thought as they approached the operating table.

As it turned out, it wasn't a human body.

"What the hell…" Junpei muttered. "That's just a huge doll or something…"

"A…d-doll…?" Clover asked. She didn't really look reassured, but she approached the operating table and stared intently at the thing on it.

"… Phew. You're right… It's only a doll. Man, it really scared me," she added with a sigh of relief.

Seven was relieved, too, more than he cared to admit. He smirked."Heh… Well, I guess it woulda been weird if you actually had any balls."

She didn't appreciate the joke. "Shut it! Don't you start with me, fatty!"

"Oh, what's this? You want a piece of me, short stuff?"

"Yeah, bring it on, you whale!"

Seven was about to retort again – of course he wouldn't actually go and hit her, but it wasn't like she would know – when Nine paled and looked up at him.

"W-wait! C-calm down!" he called out, clearly alarmed at the thought Seven may resort to violence even if it wouldn't be against him. Next to him, Junpei held up his hands.

"Hey, guys… not again, okay? Seriously, knock it off!"

Seven snorted, but he let his fists fall down his side. "Hrm," he muttered, but let the matter drop. He supposed that if the unstable knife-wielding guy tells you to calm down, it means you're _really_ overreacting.

"Hmph."

Junpei sighed, and shook his head. "Anyway, it looks like he's got something the two of you could stand to have a little more of," he said, and shrugged at the perplexed glances he got. "I'm talking about a heart." "Huh? Oh, this? You mean on his chest?" Seven asked, glancing at the thing more closely. There was no doubt that had to be a heart."

"Yeah."

Clover frowned. "Why would there be a heart in a doll…?"

"I don't think it's a doll," Junpei said, still looking down at it.

"You think maybe it's, like, a medical mannequin or something?"

Seven grinned. "Or maybe it's got more… personal uses?" he suggested. He meant to be funny, but he apparently failed to: Clover glared at him, Junpei sighed and Nine stared at him in utter confusion. It looked like he hadn't even realized what he was referring to. "Personal uses," Seven repeated for his benefit. "You know, like… well. _Personal_."

As Nine finally got it – at least judging from the way be began stuttering and stammering and turning beet red – Junpei sighed.

"Anyway… How about we take a look around this place?"

That, Seven had to admit, was a reasonable request. They did promise Ace they'd go as fast as possible, after all. "Okay. Let's get started. Nine, you stay near me, okay?" he added, turning to Nine. With an operating table there there may as well be operating tools around, and someone as unstable as Nine was just about the last person he'd want to find a scalpel. He didn't really think he'd freak out again, or at least he didn't think he'd become dangerous again if he did, but just to be safe he'd sooner keep him close. "If you see something, tell me. Don't touch anything and there won't be any problems. Got it?"

Nine finally turned away from the mannequin – he looked more than a little disturbed, and Seven wondered if his joke was to blame for that – and swallowed before nodding. "A-alright," he said, and to his credit he did follow him meekly as they searched the room and then the next one over, going through the puzzles remarkably quickly – even though Junpei and Clover paused at some point to talk about something he couldn't really grasp, but that had something to do with clovers and socks. Hell knew what _that_ was about.

As for Nine, he barely even spoke: it was almost as though he was lost in thought, and not really _there_.

But, as long as he didn't stir up trouble, Seven had no complaints.

* * *

As he watched the other tree working to get through the room's puzzles – they were quick enough, if not as quick as he'd be in their place even if he _didn't_ know the solutions already – Kubota was relieved to feel the drug's after effects wearing off. The dizziness was entirely gone, and his mind was once again working just as fast as usual.

Except that he was stuck on the same questions as before, with no answer to any of them.

Who had put the missing pieces of the RED devices back in? Had it been Zero? But to what end? Was Zero on the ship with them? Had it been Zero to drug him? Had Snake really gone through one of the numbered doors? But _why_ would he do it and leave Clover behind?

That last question, along with the one that made him shiver every time he allowed himself to wonder – _had it truly been Zero to drug him? Had he been there while he lay asleep and tied up and helpless? Why had he not killed him?_ – was the one that truly kept nagging at him.

His earlier assumption that Snake had to be Zero had seemed logical enough until he disappeared and left his younger sister behind. She knew more than she was letting on about the Nonary Game, that was for sure – she had taken part to one, after all – but at the same time it seemed _odd_ that she'd stay behind while her brother went… somewhere _else_.

But where? And _how_?

If Snake was indeed Zero, it was safe to assume he could open whatever door he wished to open on his own. Of course, the rules were against it… but the rules didn't count, he told himself. Hongou had told him as much. The doors worked differently from how it was stated in the rules – only one person could go through them and nothing would happen. Hongou had been very clear on that.

 _And how would he know that?_

The question caused Kubota's stomach to clench, but it was only for a moment. What a stupid question! Of course Hongou would know, he always knew everything. He may not know who Zero was, but of course he knew how everything worked. He knew because… because…

 _How_ could _he know?_

Kubota tried to dismiss the thought, tried to dismiss the sudden sense of uneasiness, but he couldn't quite manage to. There was much Hongou hadn't been able to tell him in their brief talk near the staircase, of course, because any moment one of the other players could walk into them… but, come to think of it, he had hardly told him anything.

He told him he hadn't been the one to set up that game – of course he wasn't, he wouldn't have been kidnapped with no warning if Hongou set it all up – and then he told him that the rules were different, and that he should go ahead through Door [5]. He said they'd meet again later on… but not a word on how he could possibly know about the change of rules that would allow him to go ahead on his own.

He had failed to follow his instructions, but what would have _happened_ if he didn't fail? Even though Hongou said that the rules had changed, Zero had said the exact opposite.

 _I have placed a small bomb inside of you, and the people whom you are about to meet._

 _Only [3-5] people can pass through one numbered door. All those who enter must leave, and all who enter must contribute._

 _If you should pass through a numbered door without first verifying your number at the RED, in 81 seconds you will be dead._

Could it be? Could Hongou have been _wrong_?

The thought caused Kubota's insides to clench, and he barely held back a whimper. He had to close his eyes and breath in and out several times, trying to calm down. In and out. In and out. In and–

"Hey, Nine. Are you okay?"

Kubota winced and opened his eyes to see Clover standing before him, though not too close. Behind her, Seven and Junpei were talking about Ice-9. Part of him wondered how they came to talk about it, but he chose to focus on Clover and her question. "I… Y-yes, I'm fine. I'm j-j-just a little… t-this room is very s-small, and I… I'm…" he swallowed and reached up to wipe his forehead.

"Claustrophobic?" Clover suggested, still not approaching, and Kubota nodded.

"Y-yes. I'll be f-fine as soon as we're out," he said. That was true, in a way: he would be fine once they were back in the hospital room and he could talk to Hongou again, ask him how could he know about the change of rules. There was an explanation, there _had_ to be; he simply needed to know more. Hongou would tell him, he _had_ to: he was his ally, his only ally in that accursed place.

 _Trust me, and we'll be out of here be_ _fore you know it_.

And he trusted him, he _did_ – he had trusted him with his life, after all, certain that it was the right choice.

But all of a sudden he wasn't _that_ certain anymore, and the thought frightened him beyond words.

* * *

Seven was rather relieved when the door leading out of the operating room opened. That place was creepy, and he really wanted out. Still, he let Junpei and Clover go ahead and turned back.

"Nine! Are you good to go?"

Nine, who had seemed lost in thought, winced at his words. "I-I… yes, of course," he mumbled, and quickly walked past him and to the door. Seven stared at him for a few moments, slightly surprised by how shaken he seemed with no apparent reason – well, no specific reason aside from the general situation, at least – but eventually just shrugged it off. The room they were into was creepy, sure enough; no wonder he was unsettled. It would have been surprising if he wasn't, he thought before following him in the hallway.

He didn't want to let him out of his sight for a moment, let alone with Clover around. He didn't think he'd try to do anything, but better safe than sorry.

The hallway went on for a while, around several corners and past a bunch of locked doors, until they reached one last door on the wall.

"That's got to be it," Junpei muttered, and reached for its handle.

A voice rang out just as he touched it, and it belonged to none in their group.

"Jumpy!"

 _What the hell?_

Seven turned, and for a few moments he could only stare in confusion as three people ran towards them through the same hallways they had just gone through – Santa, Lotus and June.

"Whoa! What the hell is this?!" Santa exclaimed as they stopped right before them, breathing hard.

"What are you doing here?" Lotus asked, then turned her gaze on Nine, who was standing right near the stop she had come to a stop. She scowled and stepped aside. "Aren't you supposed to be keeping watch on him?" she asked, glaring at Seven. "Are you sure untying him was a good idea?"

He returned her glare. "I _am_ ," he said, not really wanting to waste breath to tell her Nine was basically harmless as long as he was around. He couldn't remember ever meeting someone as infuriating as her before, but to be fair he couldn't entirely blame her for being worried. Nine _was_ unstable, and he had threatened someone's life before. Eventually, he gestured for Nine to come closer to him. "Just stay close to me, okay?" he told him.

Nine said nothing: he just nodded, gaze fixed on the floor, and meekly went to stand next to him. Seven briefly wondered what his mind was at – he had barely even reacted to the others' appearance in the hallway – but he was distracted by Clover's voice.

"Hey, guys… Could you come take a look at this?"

'This' turned out to be a map of the ship's interior, detailing the floor they were onto. It confirmed what they had figured out by now: both Door [7] and Door [8] eventually led to the hallway they were in. And the hallway led to–

No way, Seven thought. No fucking _way_.

But the map showed it clearly, and soon enough they could see with their own eyes that there was no mistake, that they were back in the hospital room – where Ace watched them walking right back in with a perplexed expression on his face.

Seven didn't know who Zero was, but if he ever found out he'd make sure to give him a piece of his mind about that twisted sense of humor of his.

* * *

"… I feel a bit silly for my little show of altruism. 'I'm sure you'll be back for me'… I did hope you would come back, but I confess I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

As he shook his head and struggled not to let the rueful smile he put up turn into something closer to a smirk, Hongou glanced carefully at Kubota. Something was off with him, he could tell… even more than usual, at least. The way he kept looking everywhere in the room except in his direction was a stark contrast to what he'd done until then – sneaking glances at him any time he could to look for reassurance, or a slight gesture that would tell him what to do.

And Hongou didn't like that change, he didn't like it at all. The moment Kubota stopped being dependent on him, the moment he _mistrusted_ him, he could become even more of a threat than he already was. If a chance to kill him didn't arise soon, he needed at least to find a moment to talk to him and make sure he still had a firm grasp on him… at least as long as he'd be given to _live_.

Hongou's musings were interrupted as the others began talking about the keys they had found – the Earth key and the Jupiter key – and the doors they could open with them.

"The Jupiter key is supposed to be for the door at the end of that long, straight hallway, right?" Junepei was asking.

Seven nodded, reaching up to scratch his cheek. "Yeah. If the map's right, then it connects to the central staircase. Then, next to the stairs–"

"Wait. "What about Door [3]?" Clover spoke up for the first time in a while.

Seven shrugged. "Look… You saw the map, right? It's the same as [7] and [8]. It'd just lead us back to the big hospital room. There's no point to seeing what's on the other side of that door."

Clover glared up at Seven, tears welling up in her eyes. "There is a point! At least there is for me…"

Hongou was rather unimpressed, but Seven began looking everywhere in the room except at Clover, muttering a few apologies under his breath. How ridiculously sentimental of a man his size, Hongou thought.

"Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry… Snake might be on the other side of Door [3]," Seven said, and Clover nodded.

Holding back an exasperated sigh – for a moment he had truly thought they would be able to keep going without seeing what was behind Door [3], but _of course_ that brat had to bring it up – Hongou spoke up first.

"Very well. I'll be coming with you, then. I'm certain we'll find him, safe and sound," he said. If there was no way to keep it from happening and thus keep Kubota from finding out what would have happened to him had he managed to go through Door [5] alone, then at the very least he needed to be _there_ when he found out. He needed to convince him it had been a honest mistake from his part before he could realize he had tried to send him to his death. Everything depended on that right now; he couldn't afford having Kubota against him in that game.

He needed him either on his side or _dead_. "So, Seven… You'll help me, won't you?"

That caused Seven to blink at him. "Huh…? Me?" he asked, and seemed to be mentally doing the math. "Damn. Well, I guess that's how it's gotta be… So I'm goin' with you, huh?"

"Yes, you are. And so is Nine, I suppose."

"Huh?" Kubota suddenly looked up, as thought snapped form whatever thoughts he had on his mind. His eyes widened and went from him to Seven, and then back to him. "W-why…?"

"Because you ain't staying with us, you freak," Santa muttered, crossing his arms. "Seven and Ace can look after you all they want. I want you the fuck away from me."

"Hey, calm down! I'm sure Nine means no harm," June protested, giving Kubota a somewhat apologetic smile. "I wouldn't mind if he stayed here. Neither would you, right, Jumpy?"

"Wha…? Oh. Right. Yeah, I don't think there would be any–"

"He's not staying with us!" Lotus snapped, folding her hands over her chest. "Didn't Seven say he wouldn't let him out of his sight anyway?"

Kubota swallowed nervously and stepped back, clearly intimidated by the open hostility. He shot a helpless glance at Hongou… and yet, and the same time, it was _Seven_ he stepped behind. That wasn't a development Hongou expected, and it certainly wasn't one he liked: that runt could become dangerous the moment he trusted anyone other than him.

 _The sooner I take him out of the picture, the safer I'll be_.

"Alright, alright, _enough_. He'll come with us. Just leave him be," Seven spoke up, then he turned to the others. "You go look what the Jupiter door leads. Maybe you'll find Snake there," he added.

Junpei nodded. "Sure."

After all four of them verified their bracelets, Seven he turned to Santa, June, Junpei and Lotus. "All right. We're headin' out."

That caused Lotus' scowl to melt. "Be careful," she said, causing Seven to blink.

"Whoa. Didn't think I'd be hearin' that from you, Lotus," he muttered, clearly taken aback.

She snorted. "Don't let it go to your head. I'd be in trouble if the three of you bought it. The rest of us can't open the [9] door."

Well, Hongou thought, that answer made much more sense. He didn't have Lotus pegged as the sentimental type; she had been the first one to suggest one of them had to be left behind, after all.

Seven seemed amused. "Aaaah. The truth comes out," he said with a nod, and pulled the lever next to the RED. The door opened with a groan.

"Okay! Let's go!" Hongou said, and the next moment they all stepped through Door [3] – and to the truth that lay behind it.

* * *

The first thing Seven thought when they made it inside the dark room was that he'd never forget the smell.

The first thing he thought when the light turned on and they saw the horror of that lay behind the divider was that he'd never forget the sight.

And then he realized that there was another thing he'd never forget – Clover's scream.

"Shit. Oh, shit," Seven found himself groaning, his stomach churning, but he forced himself to ignored it as he went to grab Clover and pull her away from the divider, away from the grisly sight of what was left of her brother. She didn't try to struggle: she let herself be pulled away, limp and lifeless like a doll, like one of the mannequins they had seen in the operating room.

Christ, now his joke about mannequins didn't seem funny _at all_.

"No," Clover said. She sounded incredibly calm, like she was just answering a question about the weather. Her eyes were empty, and there was no expression at all on her face. "No. No. _No_."

"Clover…" Seven began, not really knowing what to say now that her voice was beginning to crack, and he didn't get to say anything more before Clover _crumbled_. Her back hit the wall and she slid on the floor, face burrowed in her hands.

"No," she choked out. "No, no, _no_ …!"

Seven stared at her helplessly for several moments before he turned to glance at Ace… and Nine, who didn't seem to be doing much better. Come to think of it, Seven was surprised he hadn't screamed as well when they had seen the body; now he could say he was too petrified to. He was staring at the divider behind which Snake's body lay with the wide eyes of a hare caught in the headlights, unmoving, unblinking. It was like he was in a trance, one he was startled out of only when Ace reached to put a hand on his shoulder. He winced, then, and looked up at Ace, shaking.

"H-how… why… y-you said…!"

"I know. I was wrong," Ace replied, his hand still on Nine's shoulder. "I was _wrong_ ," he repeated before turning to Seven. "I truly hoped we'd find Snake alive. I believed we would, but… I was mistaken. I couldn't even imagine a such thing would truly happen," he said ruefully.

Seven couldn't blame him: one thing was reading about the possibility of blowing up… but seeing the result with his own eyes was another thing entirely. "Yeah, I… damn. I mean, _damn_ ," he muttered. Not precisely a brilliant reply, but he really couldn't think of anything else to say.

"He… he b-blew up, he…!" Nine managed, his voice shaking almost as much as his legs did. It was a wonder he could still stand, and Ace had to think so as well, for he passed an arm around Nine's shoulders to steady him and glanced at Seven.

"I'll have a few words with him. I hope I'll be able to calm him down. Can you… look after Clover meanwhile?" he asked, his gaze turning to Clover. She was now silent but still sitting on the floor, knees up to her chest and face burrowed in her hands.

Seven didn't think he was the best guy to give her much comfort, but on the other hand Nine was almost _leaning_ against Ace, and it wasn't like he could insist to trade places. He nodded. "I'll see what I can do," was all he said, and as Ace led Nine at the other end of the room to talk he turned his attention back to her. He cleared his throat. "… Clover?" he called out. It wasn't much of a start, but a psychologist he wasn't and… and how else was he supposed to start? What could he even _say_ to her now?

As it turned out, what he did or said mattered little: Clover stayed silent and unresponsive to everything, not even lifting her face from her hands. When Ace and Nine walked back up to him, Nine looking somewhat calmer if nowhere near at ease, Seven had yet to get any reaction at all out of her. He stopped trying when he felt the weight of Ace's hand on his shoulder.

"Perhaps it would be best to leave her for now," he said, his voice quiet. "She just lost her brother. Let her mourn. Let's look for a way out of here."

With Clover unresponsive to anything he did or said, Seven had to agree. Now that they had definite proof that the game was _truly_ mortal, they had every reason to get out before time was up. The clock sure wasn't going to start running backwards for them.

"Okay. Let's take a look around," Seven said, unwilling stepping away from Clover. Before focusing on the room around them – some kind of bathroom, apparently – he shot another glance at Nine. He looked shaken, of course, and he so pale Seven though he may be feeling sick, but he seemed to still have some grip on his sanity. "Hey, Nine. Everything alright?"

Nine stared at him for a moment before he looked away. "No," was all he said.

Well, Seven thought with a sigh, no wonder. "Don't worry. We'll get out of here. Just… go sit somewhere and stay calm. Ace and I will figure a way to get out," he said. Nine nodded, still not looking at him, and went to sit in a corner of the room – the one farthest away from Snake's remains. He sat there in silence, knees up to his chest, saying nothing as Seven and Ace worked their way through the puzzles in the room.

What a mess, Seven thought sadly every single time his eyes fell on Clover, on the blood splattered on wall and tiles.

What a fucking _mess_.


	5. Dependence

As much as he liked to think he had everything fairly under control, Hongou couldn't deny he was rather annoyed by the current situation.

While he was rather confident that he could find his way to Door [1] – and therefore silence this witness Zero spoke of before they could compromise him – the fact Kubota was alive and tagging along with the rest of them presented a problem he had hoped to avoid.

He had to pick a door he wanted to go through now and write it down, and no matter what way he looked at it: there was no combination that would allow him to go through Door [1] with Kubota. Or, at least, none that would allow all the others to create teams capable of going on… and at this point he couldn't afford leaving those faceless monkeys behind even if he had the means to.

In order to win he needed Lotus' bracelet, and Kubota's own… with or without that runt attached to it.

But now he was forced to choose, since Kubota hadn't had the good taste to simply go and die when he was supposed to. He either went through Door [1] and took care of the witness, or kept an eye on Kubota; that coward was cracking, that much was clear, and he may not keep his mouth shut for much longer. Snake's death made him wary and, even though he seemed to believe his lie on having made a honest mistake, Hongou could tell there were bound to be doubts… and doubts could lead to betrayal, which was a risk he could not take. Perhaps he should have killed him first and left Snake for later, after all. But it didn't matter now: no amount of mulling over it would change the past.

At the present moment, those were the cards he had – all he had to do was playing them well.

Hongou gave Kubota a quick look. He was standing a little aside from the others, staring at the floor and seemingly lost in thought. He hadn't even put a number in like the others had, simply agreeing to go through whatever door Seven went through; at that point Seven had taken on the duty of watching him, something neither Hongou nor Kubota could change without arising suspicion.

Not that Hongou was sure Kubota would want to change that, and it was perhaps the most worrying aspect of it all. That dependent fool was starting to rely too much on Seven, just as he harbored doubts about _him_. That wasn't right; it wasn't how it was supposed to go. It was dangerous.

Still, Hongou decided, the witness was his priority. It had to be. Kubota could talk, yes, but so could this witness if he didn't deal with them before the other players reached them. Not only that, but if Zero had told the truth – and so far he seemed to have lied about nothing – the witness, whoever they may be, had access to a camera that would broadcast their confession across the world. If Hongou could reasonably hope to get rid of the other players should they find out too much, that _was_ something he'd be unable to put a remedy to.

Yes, Hongou thought, the _witness_ had to go first. He'd have to hope that Kubota would keep his mouth shut for just a little while longer, until he had a chance to deal with him as well.

Hongou looked back down at the piece of paper he was handed and quickly wrote down a single number, that of the door he needed to get through to silence Zero's witness.

[1].

* * *

"Let's keep going… Next is Santa. He wants door [6]," Junpei said, putting another piece of paper aside to read a few more of their votes. Seven couldn't say he was nervous about the outcome: he didn't really gave a preference, so he had picked a door just because. Even if he didn't get to go through it, it wouldn't matter much. "Clover wants [1]…" Lotus wants [2]… and Seven also wants [2]."

"Eh!? W-W-Wait a minute!" Lotus spoke up, scowling openly. "There's no way I'm going anywhere with the Elephant Man and that psycho!"

That caused Nine to snap out of whatever thoughts had been going through his mind. He stared back at Lotus, eyes wide behind thick lenses. He looked everything like a hare caught in the headlights, and Seven instinctively stepped between him and Lotus before the guy could start hyperventilating or some shit. Having to see Snake's body sure didn't work wonders for his state of mind – hell, it was a blow for everyone, let alone for someone already far from stable – and last thing they needed to deal with now was a complete nervous breakdown. Seven opened his mouth to tell her off, but Junpei spoke first.

"No. There'd be no point to the voting if we let people change their choices because of stuff like that."

Lotus' glare, which had shifted on Seven the moment he stepped before Nine, turned to Junpei. "Stuff like that? He held Clover at knifepoint!"

"But he ain't got any knife anymore," Seven pointed out. "He hasn't acted up again so far, and I'm gonna watch him like a hawk anyway. And hey, we picked the same door and there's no changing that. Just give it up, Lotus. It's not like I wanna hang out with some exhibitionist grandma."

Lotus snarled. "I'm not an exhibitionist! I'm wearing clothes!"

"Barely."

"So?! Last I checked, that's not a crime!"

"Maybe, but what about common decency? Nobody wants to hafta look at a chick who looks like a half-naked raisin…"

"RrrrrrrrRRRRGH! I'm going to _kill_ you!"

With a cry, Lotus threw herself at him. Seven didn't even flinch – he doubted that woman could make him even flinch even if she hit him with all her strenght – while Kubota flinched behind him. Seven didn't get to find out how hard she could hit, however, because Ace was fast enough to grab and restrain her. Somehow, that was almost disappointing.

"Junpei! Read the rest!" Ace called out, some urgency in his voice, still struggling to keep Lotus from trying to claw Seven's eyes out.

"U-Uh…right…"

As Junpei read the last couple of numbers – and had a bit of an argument with Santa, who seemed to think he may have cheated for some reason – Lotus calmed down enough for Ace to release her, even though she kept glaring death at Seven. Not that it bothered him, though it kept Nine cowering behind him.

"Hey, no worries. Won't let her rip your balls off," Seven said with what he hoped looked like a reassuring grin, which faded the moment Nine suddenly paled. "… Er. Okay, look, just… don't worry, okay?"

Nine looked away, saying nothing, and the next moment Ace's voice got Seven's attention back on the matter at hand – the teams.

"Very well. We've decided who will go through door. It will be Clover, Junpei, and myself," Ace was saying. "Our only problem is the two remaining teams…"

Santa nodded. "June and I want door [6]," he said, and Seven could see exactly what the issue was.

"Lotus and I want door [2]," he said thoughtfully. It was obvious that, as things were, they couldn't all go through the doors they chose.

June seemed to have reached the same conclusion. "That's not good… We can't open either of those doors with only two people… I mean, one team could, adding Nine," she added. Seven mused, not for the first time, that most of them tended to forget Nine was even there. No wonder, considering how quiet he was and how he kept hiding behind him. "But the other two would be stuck."

There were a few moments of silence as they all did the math, and in the end it was Lotus to speak again. "Fine. Seven, we'll go through door [6]."

Well, he had to admit that made sense: that way they would all be able to go ahead, as their digital root without Ace, Clover and Junpei amounted to [6] exactly. "Sure thing. I didn't really wanna go through door [2] anyway," Seven said, and grinned. Besides, if we've got a younger girl with us, it'll lower the average age. Right, June?" he asked.

He had meant that as a joke, but June seemed rather embarrassed. "Eh…Well… I… Um…"

Lotus scowled and muttered something about him being a pig before she glanced at Nine again. She didn't look any friendlier than before. "Only if you keep an eye on that guy, though," she said. "I'm _not_ going through the same door as him otherwise."

Seven rolled his eyes, but to be completely fair he couldn't blame her. The guy sure hadn't started his cooperation with them in the best way. "Sure I will," he said, and reached to put a hand on Nine's shoulder. "Let's get going."

Lotus huffed, but she didn't seem to have anything to add. As for Nine, he didn't speak at all: he let Seven lead him to the staircase and then towards Door [6] without one word, his eyes never leaving the floor.

* * *

Kubota never liked the engine room. As much as enclosed spaces made him uncomfortable, he found even harder to deal with vast ones – and the engine room certainly _was_ vast. And on the Gigantic, thirty-six years before—

"You okay, Nine?"

Kubota winced, Seven's voice snapping him from the memory of Gordain's Game. He had to swallow before speaking. "A-ah, I… I'm f-fine, I j-j-just… I don't really l-like this p-place."

"Yeah, 'cause all of us just fucking love it instead," Santa snorted. Both him and Lotus were keeping their distance from him, and that was fine – the less he had to deal with anyone, the better off he was. Right now he wished he nothing more then sitting in a corner with his back against the wall, stare at the floor and wait until he could be out of the engine room.

Seven glared at Santa, but he didn't grace him with an answer. He turned back to Kubota. "Yeah, this place is kinda unnerving. Want to settle somewhere while we look for a way out of here?"

Kubota immediately nodded. "Y-yes, plea—"

"Aren't you supposed to keep an eye on him?" Lotus spoke up, hands folded over her chest, and Kubota cringed under her glare. "I told you I was only coming through the same door as him if you watched him like a hawk. Leaving him unguarded while we look for a way out doesn't sound like _watching_ him at all."

Seven snorted. "Look, he's no threat—"

"He held Clover at knifepoint and tried to leave all of us behind," Lotus cut him off, causing Kubota to shudder – not so much because he felt guilty, but because of the thought of what would have happened to him had he succeeded.

 _Hongou said it was safe!_

 _"I made a mistake. That is all. Thank God you never went through that door."_

A mistake, of course. Anyone could make a mistake, even Hongou. They had been lucky he hadn't been killed because of it. He shouldn't be thinking about what may have been – would serve no purpose but to upset him further. Still…

 _Was it really a mistake?_

It must be, Kubota thought. It must. There was no way Hongou would try to kill him, no way – why should he? He was his ally, he really was, and he was willing to do anything he said and… and… he'd never try to murder him! Hongou could resort to extreme measures if the situation called for it and he was a good actor, he was able to make all the other players trust him, but he wasn't just another player. He was someone Hongou knew well, so he wouldn't betray _him_ , right? _Right?_

 _But what if he did? What if he tried to murder me? If I can't trust even him, what chances do I have to survive this?_

"… I told you, just stay close to me and nothing will happen," Seven was saying somewhere on his left, frustration plain in his voice. "He's not so stupid he'll try anything funny while I'm right- Nine? What is it?"

Kubota drew in a shuddering breath, acutely aware of everyone's eyes on him. "I-I… I'm f-fine."

"You're white as a sheet," Lotus muttered. Her scowl softened just a bit, and the faintest trace of actual concern showed in her voice.

June, who had apparently been following the whole exchange, did nothing to hide her worry. "Look, he's not well. Let's just let him sit down somewhere and look around. He won't do anything," she said. Despite the thoughts storming through his brain, he couldn't help but wonder why would she – or Seven, or any of them for the matter – worry about him.

It made no sense, he thought, none at all. Lotus was right, he was a stranger who threatened a girl with a knife and tried to leave them all behind. If anything, they should wish him dead. They had plenty of occasions to kill him, plenty of occasions to leave him behind as he had tried to do… but they had done no such thing. And now they worried.

 _They may be pretending._

But so could Hongou.

The thought caused Kubota to shiver. Oh God, oh _God_ , what was he supposed to believe? He was never good at making decisions on his own: he always needed directions and, until he saw Snake's remains beyond Door [3], he had thought Hongou was the one he should turn to when he needed to be told what to do. He wished more than anything he could go back in time and unsee what he had seen, because it shook that certainty to the core and _he didn't know what to do anymore_.

"I-I… I n-n-need to sit down," he managed, his voice little more than a raspy whisper. He was shaking, and he was barely aware of the warm weight of Seven's hand on his shoulder. He could tell by now that if anyone could protect him from Hongou if needed, that was Seven… but right now even that thought did little to help. The thought Hongou may want him dead was too unsettling. "P-please. I need to sit down."

Santa scoffed. "Yeah, whatever. We're wasting enough time. Let's just let him mope somewhere and get looking – without a knife and little girls around to threaten, he's about as dangerous as this," he added, kicking a piece of coal across the floor in Kubota's direction and causing him to flinch. "Hell, even the grandma could swat him like a fly if he tried anything now."

"HOW DID YOU CALL ME?"

As the shouting contest between Santa and Lotus started, Nine let himself be led away by Seven – and before he knew it he was sitting on the metal steps leading to the door that, he knew, was the only way out of there.

"Just stay here, okay? I'll go stop the old hag before she murders Santa," Seven grunted, turning to walk back to them. June paused and turned to Kubota instead of following him right away.

"Try not to worry, okay? We've got this. We'll all be out in no time."

Kubota nodded, not bothering to look up at her, just wishing she'd leave him alone – and thus he missed the unreadable expression that crossed her face for a moment before she went to join the others again.

* * *

Taking the watch that would allow him to access to the Captain's cabin was easy – ridiculously so. Whatever Junpei and Clover were discussing certainly was quite distracting, which worked just fine for him: not only it would give him the means and time to get rid of Zero's so-called witness, but it would spare him whatever idiotic comments Junpei felt like spewing for a while.

Honestly, he had been an utter annoyance from the moment they stepped past Door [1]. He had the sense of humor of a nine year old, and he had the audacity to say _his_ jokes were bad. As if.

Watching him burn was going to be quite satisfying.

However, the moment the door leading to the Captain's cabin opened, Junpei was instantly gone from Hongou's thoughts – because the witness was right there, slumped on an armchair.

It was a man, decidedly overweight and rather old: he was balding, what hair he had left was completely white, as was the mustache. He seemed to be sleeping, and he wore a captain's uniform of all things; it made a sick amount of sense, considering where they were. Uniform aside, there was something familiar about him even though his face was obviously unrecognizable to him – but Hongou didn't focus it as much as on the object that had been left next to the armchair.

An axe. How very convenient, he thought. Was it left there on purpose, to allow him to end the witness? That seemed to be the case; an easy way out for him. But why would Zero…?

The man on the armchair suddenly shifted, and Ace turned his gaze back on him just on time to see him opening his eyes and blinking blearily at him. He seemed dizzy, just as Snake had been, and his voice was rather raspy when he spoke.

"… Number five? Where…?" he asked, trying and failing to sit up straight. And that was when it _clicked_ – the voice was familiar, as was the man's mustache and figure, and only one person had ever called him that again since Gordain's Game, so many years before. Number five.

He had always _hated_ being called that.

"Musashidou," Hongou spoke, his voice calm and almost pleasant, as though greeting him in the elevator at work. "It is you, isn't it?"

"Yes, I… where…?"

Hongou smiled and took a step towards the armchair and the axe, his gaze never leaving the other man. "Well. Fancy meeting you here."

 _To make your confession more credible, I have left you a witness in the captain'squarter, Zero's letter read. Perhaps he will confess with you. The decision is yours. Do as you please._

 _Oh, I intend to._

Musashidou grunted, and managed to pull himself up in a reasonably upright position on the armchair. "What is… what…?" he croaked, leaning back against the backrest. He was obviously groggy, and Hongou had no plans on giving him any time to clear his mind.

After all, he had little time himself.

Hongou smiled, his hand closing on the handle of the axe. "It's nothing. You'll be out in a moment," he added, and lifted the axe above his head. "Trust me."

Musashidou looked up at him, then he seemed to put the axe on focus, and his eyes widened in a sudden flash of clarity that broke through the drug-induced stupor. "No," he managed, and tried to lift a hand, but it was much too late: the next instant Hongou swung the axe, and it blade buried itself deeply in the other man's chest. Musashidou slumped back, eyes still wide, and gave a gurgling noise. Blood gushed out from the wound, from his mouth and nose, and Ace – still holding the axe, still standing over him – smiled.

"Nothing personal," he said, smile widening as the man's still open eyes grew dull and glassy, and pulled the axe out of Musashidou's chest, stepping aside to avoid being hit by the resulting spray of blood; that would be hard to explain, after all.

As the body dropped forward and onto the floor with a thud, Hongou let the axe fall and quickly checked his clothing. No blood. Perfect, he thought – now he only needed to slip the watch back into Junpei's pocket, and act perfectly innocent until they got back in the room together.

While walking back to the door, careful not to step on the growing pool of blood on the floor, Hongou heard a clicking sound. He turned back to see an open bracelet next to Musashidou's bloodied hand, one he must have been wearing – and the number on the display was [0]. But it was a red herring, of course, it had to be: Musashidou couldn't possibly have been Zero.

No, whoever Zero was, he was somewhere else on the ship. Who it may be hardly mattered: Hongou hadn't survived Gordain's Game once to be beaten at a game of his own design, after all. He would win, and then Zero would _pay_.

Gentarou Hongou smirked and left the captain's cabin, closing the door behind himself.

* * *

Two doors. _Two_ fucking doors.

Two fucking _[9]_ doors, of all things – and without Snake, there was no fucking way they were going to be all able to leave through them anyway. What a goddamn joke.

With a sigh, Seven took a look around. The chapel was damn creepy, especially with a goddamn coffin there, and he couldn't say he looked forward to staying there on his own. Well, he wasn't looking forward to stay behind at all. But he could tell that there was no better option, even though the others didn't seem to have grasped as much.

Seven set his jaw and glanced to his right, where Nine stood slightly behind him – as he had for the past couple of hours now. Especially after Ace, Clover and Junpei had told them about the dead man they had found behind Door [1], murdered with an axe.

"Hey, Nine. Keep behaving without me, okay?" he said. His voice seemed to startle him, and the next moment Nine was looking up at him in confusion.

"What…?"

Seven didn't waste time to answer: he was going to know what he planned in a moment, after all, along with all the others. When he spoke again his voice was louder, so that everyone could hear.

"Okay. I give up. I give up. I figured if we sat around here long enough, someone would volunteer, but… I guess nobody's got the guts to do it."

As seven pairs of eyes turned to glance at him, confusion plain on each face, he shrugged. "What? You guys didn't figure it out yet? Ugh. Fine, fine. Lemme enlighten you. Clover was mostly right with her little explanation earlier, but she missed something. She wasn't really wrong, she just… Argh! Screw it! Lemme just write it out."

Seven snatched up the notebook and began to write the combination he had thought of quickly. Everyone else moved around him to take a look; Lotus didn't even seem to bother keeping her distance from Nine anymore. "There's another way… Only one combination, though," Seven explained as he wrote. "If you split us up into groups of 3, 4, and 1… you can make _this_ combination," he finished, finally pulling away the pencil to let everyone see clearly what he had written.

[1], [8], [9].  
[3], [4], [5], [6].  
[7].

There were a few moments of silence, then Junpei seemed to finally get it. "Wait… This means…"

Seven gave a small smile. What a smart kid. "Don't get me wrong, here. I'm not tryin' to copy Ace or anything like that. Even if he hadn't been the hero back in the big hospital room, I'd still be saying the same thing."

June's eyes widened. "The same thing…? Are you saying…"

"Yeah, I am. I'll stay behind," Seven said. To his surprise the next people to speak up were Nine… and Lotus.

"W-what? N-no, you… w-why…?" Nine stammered, confusion plain in his voice. Lotus sounded equally confused, and a whole lot _angrier_ for some reason.

"Wh-Why are you acting so heroic all of a sudden?! Are you some kind of idiot!?" she snapped, causing Seven to blink. What the hell? Hadn't she been perfectly okay with Ace staying behind in the hospital room? "I'm completely against this! I'll be goddamned if I'm going to have to owe you for getting out of here!"

Before Seven could object, everyone else began speaking all at once – and, before long, their answer was clear: they weren't going to let him play the hero and stay behind.

"Well, there you go Seven. Proposal denied. Clover's right. There's gotta be a better way than this," Junpei said.

Seven looked around, his gaze stopping on Lotus' satisfied expression, and he felt an odd lump in his throat. He snorted and coughed at the same time, turning away from her. "Hmph… Doesn't make any sense…" he muttered. And it didn't, from a logical standpoint… but he couldn't pretend he was not relieved.

His relief didn't last for long.

"Whoa, hold on a minute. I haven't said anything yet."

Everyone turned to the one who had just spoken – Santa. There was an old coldness in his voice.

"Are you…agreeing? You want to leave him here?" Junpei asked, sounding incredulous, but Santa shook his head.

"Nah. I'm against it. I don't want to leave Seven here alone."

"Then I don't see how it matters—"

"I said _alone_."

"…Eh?"

"I said I don't want to leave Seven alone," Santa repeated. His eyes were oddly cold as he let is gaze wander on the other players, pausing on Seven only for one moment before turning back to Junpei – who seemed just as confused and unnerved as Seven felt.

"Wh-What the hell are you…"

"What, you don't get it? I can't leave just one person. I need three more. Four people, including Seven. I'll be leaving behind four people. That's my proposal. …No. Those are my _orders_."

 _What the fuck…?_

"What do you mean, orders?" Junpei snapped. "What the hell makes you think you can order us around?! Who the hell's gonna listen to you?!"

"You all will. In 3 seconds, you won't have a choice."

"Wh-What?!"

 _Oh, shit!_

Seven guessed what Santa was about to do only one moment before he moved, and it was still one moment too late. The bastard was fast, damn him, way toofast, and before Seven could even move he had grabbed June and was holding a gun to her head – a gun he recognized.

"The gun's from the other room…" he snarled, fists balling in impotent rage. It was the revolver they had found in the cargo room, the one they had all agreed to leave there it was!

Junpei's confusion seemed to finally snap out of his shock. "What room?"

"One of the rooms behind door [6]. I shoulda known he was gonna do this… I shoulda taken the gun," he growled. He had been such a goddamn idiot, he thought – when they had agreed to leave the gun behind he had watched Nine closely to make sure he wouldn't try to get his hands on it anyway, but he hadn't even thought of watching the others.

Santa smirked. "Heh. Well, it's too late now, fatass."

"Damnit…" Seven ground his teeth in fury and frustration, glaring death at Santa as he began walking backwards, dragging June with him. It was just like what Nine had done to Clover, only with a gun instead of a knife… and he had the same plan, apparently, through he wouldn't be going alone.

Santa quickly put his hand on the scanner panel, forced June to do the same, and then turned his gaze back at them. "Now… Time for you to start following my orders. Ace, Lotus, congratulations. I've chosen you to come with me. Put your hands on the RED."

What happened next was almost a blur in the wave of helpless fury that had taken over Seven's mind. The gunshot that rang out the moment Ace and Lotus refused to move, opening a hole in the floor and causing Nine to choke back a scream and hide behind Seven; Clover's attempt at talking to him about clovers or whatnot only causing Santa to get angrier; Ace and Lotus finally agreeing to Santa's terms, as they had no other choice. All of this, Seven could only _watch_ – as he could only watch when the door closed again, hiding all of them from view and leaving him, Junpei, Clover and Nine in the chapel.

The silence was broken by a sudden, keening noise that made Seven think of an injured dog. He wasn't too surprised when he turned to see that Nine had sunk on his knees, holding his head in his hands, and was shaking like a leaf. "We're g-going to die," he choked out, his voice shaking. "We're all going to _die_."

Seven opened his mouth, but he could think of nothing to say, nothing that could help – because at the moment, things were looking pretty damn bleak. Their digital root was [7]; no way they could open—

 _Wait._

Realization caused him to pause, eyes widening. "… No," he said slowly. It was all so simple, he thought – how could Santa not think of it? "Not all of us. You can still get out."

His words caused Nine's moping to come to a sudden halt, and he looked up at him with wide eyes. Seven could see realization sinking in: his own bracelet, along with Junpei's and Clover's, would allow the three of them to go through the other door. Without Seven, their digital roots would be [9].

Seven expected him be relieved and indeed there was a look of relief on his face… but it didn't last more than a few moments; then he looked almost lost. Come to think of it, it was hard to picture him holding himself together with only two kids to look after him; Seven wasn't dumb, regardless his looks, and it didn't take a genius to tell how dependent Nine had grown on him through the game. "B-but then you'd-"

"You can't be thinking that again!" Clover cut him off, holding a hand over her mouth. "We already said we wouldn't leave you behind! That hasn't changed! Right, Junpei?"

For a moment Junpei seemed torn, clearly thinking of June and the others' plight in Santa's hands, but then he nodded. "Yeah, we… we can't just go and leave you here."

Seven gritted his teeth. Goddammit, playing the hero was hard enough – did theyhave to make it more difficult? "Look, at this point there's no choice. Either I stay, or we all stay. I'm fucked regardless, but the three of you—" he began, only to trail off when a sudden sound echoed in the chapel, that on someone insistently pounding on… _something_.

And it came from the coffin.


	6. Defiance

For a time, Kubota could only stare in utter confusion as Snake sat in the coffin and Clover kept clinging to him, crying and crying, her whole frame shaking with sobs and gasps. Not that he paid much attention to her: he couldn't himself to pay attention to anything but Snake's presence, the fact he was alive, clothed in a robe that replaced his clothes.

Seven and Junpei seemed equally surprised, but they showed relief he failed to feel. He failed to feel _anything_ but confusion and a deep sense of dread as the pieces began to fall into place.

If the body behind Door [5] wasn't his, who could _that_ be? Whoever that was he had a bracelet like the rest of them, and was wearing Snake's clothes. Someone must have switched them while everyone scxattered to look for the missing pieces of the REDs, but… why? Why would anyone do that? Was it to fool them? But unless Snake had a twin or something of the sort, who would even be fooled by such a pointless thing?

 _Hongou would_.

The thought made Kubota feel as though he had swallowed ice. Yes, _Hongou_ would fall for it: face blindness could very well cause him to mistake… whoever the person in the shower room was for Snake. Had that been a rouse to fool him? Snake had been one of the subjects of the experiment, he was sure of it: one of the boys had been blind, and it would be too much of a coincidence if it was anyone else. Hongou had come to the same conclusion, he was certain. Had it been him to push the person he would have believed to be Snake through Door [2]? That seemed suddenly very likely. But in order to do so, he would have needed _his_ bracelet, and… and…!

" _Have you thought that he may have been drugged?"_  
 _"Just look at him, okay? He's still half asleep and he barely reacted when Seven hit him."_  
 _"Whoever put the REDs' components back must have drugged him. Don't you remember anything at all?"_

 _Thud._

"What the…? Nine? Nine!" Junpei's voice reached him as though from a mile away. In his shock Kubota was barely aware of it, he was barely aware of anything but the dread that pervaded him and the pain in his knees the instant they hit the floor. He barely even reacted when he felt someone – Seven? – lift him to move him on one of the chapel's pews.

Hongou, was all he could think. Hongou had _drugged_ him in order to use his bracelet to kill whoever he believed to be Snake. He could have told him, asked for his help, could have untied him – but instead he chose to drug him. Hongou didn't see him as an ally at all. Hongou was playing that game for himself… and he had tried to kill him at the very start. At this point he could no longer delude himself into thinking I had been a mistake. He had lied to him, he had knowingly tried to send him off to his death.

Hongou had never wanted him to make it out of there alive. He tried to kill him as he tried to kill Snake, as he likely killed the man in the captain's quarters they spoke of. And he… he fell for it. He trusted him with his _life_ and almost got himself killed – because why _shouldn't_ he trust him? Hongou had to know he wouldn't betray him. He owed Hongou his _life_ , they had been allies through Gordain's Game, them and Niji—

"Hey. Are you okay?" Clover's voice caused Kubota to wince and look up. He realized just then that they were around him, all of them, and that Seven kept a hand on his shoulder – and they looked _worried_.

Even Clover, someone whose throat he had threatened to slit only hours ago.

Kubota swallowed at the memory. After they stopped him from walking through Door [5] and took Clover back, they could have killed him. They could have left him behind right then; they had a million reasons to do that, after all. But none of them had even _suggested_ it, while Hongou had tried to kill him at the very start.

" _It seems the settings for the DEAD were altered. Now it only requires a single person to deactivate the detonator in the bracelet. Investigate what's beyond Door [5]. We'll meet again later."_  
 _"Let me handle everything, pretend you don't know me and everything will be fine."_  
 _"I made a mistake. That is all. Thank God you never went through that door."_

But that was a lie, all of it. He may have been his ally once, many years ago, but not anymore.

"I-I… I…" Kubota stammered before drawing in a deep breath. He couldn't tell them what he just realized, couldn't say anything at all – because then he'd have to explain himself, to tell them _everything_ , assuming that Snake truly was unaware of his identity… which could be, as he never met the subjects personally.

He could now see what a trusting fool he was, but he wasn't so stupid not to imagine what would happen to him if they knew what he had done nine years before, of the Nonary Game and his role in it. They wouldn't be as forgiving, then.

He had to keep quiet and… and hope for the best. There was nothing else now – no plan, nothing to rely on. He was on his own, at the mercy of strangers who must _never_ know of his past.

"We've got to go," Seven said. "We can open the door now. Think you can get up and not collapse again?"

"I'll… I'll be fine," Kubota finally heard himself saying, but those words sounded empty to his own ears.

* * *

"Heh. A goddamn library. Go figure. Used to steer clear of those even back in school. Bet you spent a lot of time in them, eh, Nine? You _really_ don't look like you were into the sports team anyway."

"… I n-never really went to s-school," Nine mumbled, not even looking in his direction. He was going through the books, too, but it was clear his mind wasn't really into it. Better than losing his shit again, Seven guessed, but it didn't make him very useful.

"Huh. Home schooled?" he guessed, and a brief nod was all the answer he got. Seven held back a sigh. Despite the worry gnawing at him, he had been making an effort to sound pleasant while they blindly searched for a clue – _any_ clue – that would lead them out of there. Or at least he was searching, because it looked like no one else was getting shit done. Nine just kinda stood next to him looking completely unresponsive or almost, while Junpei was having some kinda conversation with Snake and Clover on the other side of the library.

It looked like Snake was doing most of the talking, really, while Junpei listened intently and Clover nodded from time to time. It had to be really damn important if they focused on that instead of on the search… but what the hell, they were in a rush, weren't they?

"Hey! How about you guys get looking, too?" Seven bellowed across the library, causing Nine to wince and the other three to stop talking and turn to him for a moment… only to get back talking the next. Well, damn. Whatever they were discussing had to be interesting as hell. Seven sighed.

"What the hell is that even about…" he muttered, going back to search through the books.

He didn't notice the long, worried gaze Nine gave them for several moments before lowering his eyes again, saying nothing.

* * *

"Look, the drawer opened!"

Fucking finally, Seven thought. If the library had been frustrating, this damn room was worse, with puzzles all over the place. I really hoped that whatever was in the drawer was not another goddamn puzzle. He walked closer to the drawer, to take a look of what was in it as Junpei pulled out one single object – a photograph.

"A… picture?" Junpei said, holding it up… and then he fell quiet, his eyebrows shooting up. Seven could see just why: the picture showed four men, two of which he could recognize. One of them was Ace, without a doubt, and the other…

" _Nine?"_

"Wait, wait, what? What's the meaning of this? That's Ace, and Nine, and… and Cap! Nine, you _know_ them?" Junpei explained, his voice a couple of octave higher than usual. As they all turned back to look at Nine, who immediately stepped back, giving a sound that reminded Seven of a scared dog when his back hit the wall behind him. All of a sudden, he looked everything like a trapped animal – breathing quickening and eyes twitching from person to person, only to turn away his gaze the moment he made eye contact.

Just like back at the staircase, when he took Clover hostage… only that now he had no weapon, no hostage and no surprise element. He had to realize as much, because he seemed scared shitless. In a brief flash of memory, like a sudden flash of light in a very dark place, Seven was suddenly reminded of one time he found a rat caught in a glue trap as a kid: the animal had been so desperate to escape that it had begun trying to chew its trapped paw off as he watched, eyes bulging with terror.

"What the fuck is going on?" Seven blurted out, instinctively stepping closer to Nine – only to pause when the smaller man shrieked and lifted his arms over his head as though expecting a blow.

"S-stay back!" he cried out, trying to flatten himself against the wall. "D-don't come any c-c-closer!"

"Nine, calm down!" Seven said, but his mind was scrambling to make sense of what he had just seen, eyes fixed on the cowering form before him. Nine and Ace knew each other, and the man who was murdered in the captain's cabin? But why hadn't they told anyone? What the hell were they hiding? Why was he so scared all of a sudden?

"What's the date of the photograph?" Snake spoke somewhere behind him.

"It doesn't have one… hey, wait…"

Seven turned on time to see Junpei flipping the picture over and start reading what was written behind it. "Praying for the success of the Nonary Project with Nijisaki, Kubota, and Musashidou…"

 _Nonary Project…?_

Snake didn't seem fazed, like everything made perfect sense to him – but there was a sudden, dark expression on his face when he spoke. "Ah… Of course. I understand now. Ace was the CEO of Cradle Pharmaceutical. He was the one who invented the game 9 years ago… He was Gentarou Hongou."

 _Hongou? Cradle Pharmaceutical…?_

Nine let out another whimper the same moment something deep in Seven's head began to ache, and then to downright _hurt_. Everything Snake was now telling Junpei faded into a background noise as Seven clenched his teeth. It was as though something was trapped in his head, struggling to claw its way out.

 _Cradle Pharmaceutical… The Nonary Project… Hongou… Kubota… Nijisaki… Musashidou…_

"… Hey, Junpei. You think I could borrow that picture for a sec?"

The boy handed him the picture right away, and Seven stared at it intently, the pain in his head growing worse by the second. There was Ace, sure enough… and Nine, too, in a lab coat… a tall guy with black hair… an older man with a mustache…

"Hongou… Kubota… Nijisaki… Musashidou.." He chanted their names to himself over and over, pacing back and forth across the room, everyone else's presence forgotten. He was almost there, almost _there_ …!

"Hey, Seven… Do you—"

"Shut it! Just… just be quiet!" Seven snapped. "I'm this close to remembering! _This close_ …!"

 _Hongou… Kubota… Nijisaki… Musashidou… Cradle Pharmaceutical… Nonary Project…_

And, all of a sudden, he _remembered_. It was like he had been trying to open a jammed door that refused to budge only for it to give in at once, everything that had been hidden behind it now plain before his eyes. He remembered everything… and _everyone_.

"Remembering? What are you remem—"

"YOU LITTLE _BASTARD_!"

Seven lunged forward, his roar easily covering Nine's shriek – a shriek that was cut short when Seven's hand grasped his throat. He didn't even register the choked gasp that left that piece of shit: the next moment he lifted him and slammed his back against the wall in one motion, keeping him pinned there.

Nine – _Kubota_ , this goddamn bastard was one of the Cradle executives – immediately started kicking and trying to paw at Seven's hand in a pathetic attempt at making him loosen his grip, but it was not nearly enough to make him even blink.

"I oughta snap your fucking _neck_ ," he snarled, and Kubota stopped squirming as though someone just flipped a switch, although his hands kept uselessly gripping Seven's own. Seven could hear Snake – Light, he thought, he remembered that now, he was the blind kid back on the Gigantic – telling Junpei exactly _who_ this little bastard was. Goddammit, and to think he even felt _bad_ for this piece of shit when he couldn't remember, turned into his fucking _babysitter_ …!

"P-p-please, no, d-don't— _p-please_ , don't hurt me!" Kubota choked out, glasses askew on his face, and it was with some disgust – a wonder he had any _left_ – that Seven realized the shudders shaking his whole frame were hysterical sobs.

"If you think crying's gonna help you, think again," he growled. "It didn't help the kids you tortured, did it? Didn't help the kid you let burn alive – _did it_?"

"N-no, I… I didn't hurt a-a-anyone! I c-created the t-technology, I never even met them, I… i-if I d-d-didn't d-do it, someone e-else…" he stammered, only to trail off with a strangled noise when Seven scoffed and tightened his grip. But instead of falling silent he spoke again, his voice more hurried and desperate. "NO! PLEASE! T-t-they were s-s-supposed to be s-safe! I-if our t-t-theory was c-c-correct, t-then—"

"If you were so _sure_ , why didn't she make it out? WHY DID SHE BURN ALIVE?" Seven roared, and that was the last Kubota could take before falling apart. He began stammering even worse than usual and openly weeping, a whiny quality to his voice that made Seven's hand itch to just clench and snap his neck.

"I-it wasn't m-me, I swear! I d-d-don't know who… s-she was n-not supposed to b-be there, she… s-someone made a m-m-mistake, a-and…. i-it wasn't me! I wasn't t-t-there! I was in Building Q! I WAS IN BUILDING Q!" he shrieked, still desperately pawing at Seven's hand, and shut his eyes with another pitiful sob.

The pathetic display did nothing to soothe his fury and disgust; if anything, if fueled it. He was about to shake him and yell again, but he paused when Junpei spoke up.

"Whoa, whoa – what the hell is going on?" he asked, his voice not exactly firm. "Seven, what did you remember? What do you know of this? Who _are_ you?"

Seven snorted. "I'll give you the quick version in a minute," he said, and dropped Kubota on floor. He fell on his knees in a sniveling heap and tried to make himself as small as possible, shaking and blubbering. He was by far the saddest, most pathetic thing Seven had ever laid his eyes on, and none of it was enough for him to think twice before kicking him. It was a far less powerful kick than he could have given – far less painful than he deserved, too – but it was enough to make him yelp and fall flat on his stomach, face to the floor. He tried to rise, maybe to crawl away, but before he could do either Seven's foot pressed against his back, causing him to cry out and squirm like a rat trapped in a snare.

" _D-don't hurt me! Please!"_

"Shut up and _listen_ ," Seven snapped, leaning forward to put some more weight on him. Not his whole weight, obviously – not even half of it, no matter how tempted he was to snap his spine – but still enough to make Kubota stop squirming and whimper. "Stay where you are and don't move, or else I swear you'll have to be scraped off the floor and taken out of here in a damn _bucket_. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes," he wheezed. "P-p-please, don't—"

"Shut the hell _up_."

Seven explained everything to Junpei as quickly as he could, but it still was a long tale – Cradle, the kidnappings, his investigation, the ship, the kids on board, Hongou, the girl locked up in the incinerator, the fire, her brother horrifying scream when he knelt next to her charred remains. They discussed Snake's own participation in the Nonary Game, and Santa's identity – Aoi Kurashiki, Akane's brother.

All the time Kubota scarcely made a sound: he seemed to have settled for trembling under Seven's foot, whimpers muffled against the crook of the arm he kept his face buried in… until Junpei turned the conversation on the one Cradle executive who hadn't been seen on board until now. Nagisa Nijisaki.

"There's still a lot we don't know," Junpei said. "I mean, like, a lot a _lot_. But…there is one thing I think we can say we know.

"What's that?"

"The body we found in the shower room had to be Nijisaki, dressed up to look like Snake."

"What…?" Seven began, only to be interrupted by two things: Junpei speaking again to explain… and Kubota lifting his head with a sudden start.

"C'mon man… What kind of a detective are you? You didn't figure that out already? That would make sense. Why would only three out of four executives be on the ship? Guy X must have been Niji—"

"N-N-Niji… w-wha…?" Nine managed, surprise and something akin to horror apparently overriding his fear for a moment. "What… w-why… N-no, Ho-Hongou w-wouldn't, not him, he…!" he managed, then he made a gasping noise when Seven snarled and pressed his foot harder on his back.

"Quit reminding me you _exist_ , or I'll squish you like the cockroach you _are_."

"Not that we'd complain," Clover muttered. Any form of compassion towards that pathetic runt had vanished now that the cat was out of the bag, and for obvious reasons. She turned to her brother. "Did you recognize him like you recognized Ace?"

Snake shook his head. "No. I never met him nor heard his voice, and sadly I could never see him in picture. There was no way for me to guess," he said, and tilted his head towards Seven. When he spoke again, his voice colder than usual. "Your full weight on his spine may be enough to kill or severely maim him, Seven. If that's what your planning to do, then perhaps you could refrain from doing so before Clover."

Seven scoffed, glaring down at the sniveling mess on the floor. There were few things he found as pathetic as a grown man blubbering and begging – let alone one who deserved none of the mercy he pleaded for.

"Temping, but I'll pass. Don't wanna stain my shoes," he grunted, and lifted his foot from Kubota's back, not sparing him a swift kick on his side. "Get up, Nine. _Now_."

Kubota whimpered and shakily lifted himself to his knees, barely daring to peer up. "P-please, d-don't leave me here! I'll- I'll do a-a-anything you w-want, _anything_ , I…!"

"I said _up_!" Seven snapped, reaching to grab him by the collar of his shirt and lifting him. Nine shrieked, lifting his arms over his head as though expecting a blow. While tempted, Seven didn't hit him. "Shut the hell up and _walk_. You're coming with us."

That caused Kubota to finally look back at him, surprise overriding his terror for a moment. "W-what… y-you w-w-won't…?"

"Leave you here? Like hell. But that's what _you'd_ do, isn't it? Just like you tried to do at the start. You piece of shit. You're lucky I didn't have my memory back yet when I caught you there," Seven spat before turning to the others. "You guys agree, right?"

Snake nodded. "I can't say I'd cry rivers over his demise, but I agree that keeping him alive may be useful. To testify against Hongou, if anything," Snake conceded. "After that, I trust you'll personally make sure the key of whatever cell he's thrown into will be disposed of."

Seven gave a lopsided grin. "You _bet_. I'll throw his ass in jail so fast he won't know what's hit him," he said, and glared at Kubota. "Now _move_. Try anything and you _won't_ be getting in jail on your own two legs."

Kubota swallowed and looked down, but he just obeyed, if shakily. As they walked through the door, Seven had only one thought in mind – kicking Hongou's ass, getting a damn _explanation_ out of Aoi Kurashiki, and help out Lotus and June. Not necessarily in that order.

He had no idea yet that Kubota was never going to even _see_ a prison, let alone walk in it on his own legs or otherwise.

* * *

Seven couldn't pretend he was especially surprised when, after getting past the door opened by the Neptune key, they found themselves in front of a great metal door with a plaque reading _INCINERATOR_.

Truth be told, he wasn't surprised at all.

"So this is the incinerator…" Junpei muttered.

Still holding Nine's shoulder in a vise-like grip, Seven nodded. "This is the first time I've seen it from this side, but yeah… I think so."

"Then there ought to be a lever near the door," Snake said, and he was correct: the lever was right next to the metal door.

"Yeah… Right here," Junpei said, and ran up to it.

"Pull that, and the door should open."

"Got it!"

Indeed, the door began opening with a groan as soon as the lever was pulled down. Seven tightened his grip Nine and growled. "Try anything funny and I'm breaking your arms," he told him. He didn't wait for a reply: as soon as the door was open enough Junpei, Snake and Clover rushed inside and he followed, pushing Nine in front of him.

They were still in, all four of them. Ace and Lotus stood before the numbered door, June was slumped at the far end of the incinerator and Santa was on the floor a little distance away from him, holding his stomach and groaning. As Junpei rushed by June's side, Seven quickly moved towards Santa and roughly lifted him up with his free hand – the other one still gripping a terrified, barely responsive Kubota.

"Hey! Where is it?! Where's the gun?! You hide it somewhere!?" he roared, shaking him. Santa grunted.

"Hurg…! I…don't have it. I got sucker-punched, and… They took the gun."

"What? Who took it!?"

Santa snorted despite the pain he was clearly in. "What, isn't that obvious?"

" _I_ took the gun."

Ace's calm voice caused Seven's blood to run cold. He let go of Santa to stare at Ace, and only then he realized he was keeping Lotus pinned against him with one arm… and keeping the gun pressed against her temple with the other. Lotus stared back at Seven, pale and clearly terrified, but dared say nothing. Fury mixed up with Seven's initial shock, and he found himself clenching the hand holding Nine's shoulder, barely even hearing the resulting, pained whimper.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doin', Ace… Or maybe I oughta say _Gentarou Hongou_ , CEO of Cradle Pharmaceutical?"

Ace – Hongou – sneered. "You have me at a disadvantage, and I don't like that. You know me, but I don't know you," he said, and suddenly his sneer faded and his expression changed into something bitter, a look that seemed almost haunted. "Do you have any idea how much I've suffered? Can you even begin to understand my pain?"

What the fuck was he even….?

"The pain of prosopagnosia, right?" Junpei's spoke up. Seven had no idea what that even meant, but it sure had to mean something to Ace, whose gaze flickered on Junpei.

"Hmph. Another irritating insect. And how do you know that, hm?" he asked. When Junpei didn't answer, he sneered. "No matter. If you don't want to answer, it makes no difference to me. This is a waste of time anyway. It's time for me to go. Now, Seven," Ace added, turning back to Seven with a twisted smirk. The gun's barrel pressed harder against the side of Lotus' head. "This doesn't need to end so unpleasantly. I have Lotus, and there is only one other player I need to get out. Let Nine go, and I'll leave with them. Who knows, we just might be generous enough to stop the incinerator once we're out. I may even look for some help."

Acutely aware of Lotus' terrified expression and everyone's eyes on him, Seven clenched his teeth. No, letting him have his way was not an option. Not at all. Ace and Nine couldn't be allowed to get away, let alone with Lotus. He didn't believe Ace's claim of stopping the incinerator once out for one moment; he'd likely shoot Lotus as well the moment they stepped out of there and left the rest of them to burn. Like hell he'd leave witnesses alive. There _had_ to be another way… but how the hell do you take down a madman holding a gun and a hostage?

Ace's smirk turned into a laugh. "Do you think you can turn this at your advantage? Idiot. I could kill you all here and now, and I will if you force me to. You have ten seconds to let go of him, Seven. No, make it nine. If you don't, the woman dies first," he added, his eyes narrowing. "Whether it's by gun or burning alive along with the rest of you it makes little difference, does it now?"

Seven's free hand tightened into a fist, his teeth clenched so hard his gums hurt, eyes fixed on Lotus. When he spoke, his voice was a thundering growl. "Then go, you little bastard," he said, and let go of Kubota's shoulder. "And if you're not a complete fucking coward, at least tell him to let Lotus go when you're out," he added, but he held no true hope that Nine would ask and didn't truly hope Ace would listen if he did.

Ace gave him a horrible smile of approval. "How very wise of you," he said, and began walking backwards to the RED, still pressing the gun around Lotus' temple. He verified and forced Lotus to do the same before speaking again. "Come, Kubota," he said, and Seven clenched his teeth again in impotent fury, waiting for Nine to walk up to Ace and leave with him – dragging Lotus to almost certain death and leaving the rest of them to burn.

Except that Nine didn't take one single step in Ace's direction.

Ace's smug expression turned into surprise first, then annoyance. Not that Seven had the time to see the change, for the next moment he was staring down at Nine – who still stood beside him, shaking like a leaf and not moving an inch, staring at Ace like a deer caught in the headlights.

… What the hell? Why was he not going? Ace was offering him a way out; wasn't he supposed to jump on the chance? What was he afraid of _now_?

"Is something the matter?" Ace asked, tilting his head on one side. His frown was already fading, replaced by the fakest smile Seven had ever seen. "We need to go, old friend. We have _won_. But there isn't much time left. Just come over here so we can—"

"How did you _know_?" Nine cut him off, his voice somewhat less shaky than usual. Seven could see his fists were balled by his sides so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. What in the world were they even talking about? What would Ace _know_?

Ace's expression turned into one of mild annoyance once again. Seven could see Lotus swallowing, still pressed against him."All in due time. As I said, we have little ti—"

"HOW?" Nine screamed, cutting him off, and the annoyance turned into anger for one moment before Ace was able to force his neutral expression back on.

"This is not really the moment—"

"Y-you said t-t-the rules had c-changed! Y-you said I'd be s-s-safe going through the d-door!"

Seven blinked. Wait, what? So that was why Nine had tried to go through Door [5] on his own? Because Ace had told him to do so, that the rules had changed? Was that _it_?

"It was a honest mistake, obviously," Ace snapped, then made an effort to soften his voice. " I _told_ you as much. I was clearly misguided, but I'm glad there were no consequences. Now don't be a fool and come with me. We need to—"

"Don't listen to him," Seven spoke up, his voice a feral growl. "He's not on your goddamn side. He tried to kill you once already, can't you see it? He lied. You can't be so stupid you can't see—" he trailed off when Ace scoffed and pressed the gun hard enough against Lotus' temple to bruise her, causing her to cry out.

"Be _quiet_. You know nothing," Ace seethed. "Kubota, enough with this charade. Come here and—"

" _HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?"_

Nine's scream seemed to echo into the incinerator for several moments, and what followed was the heaviest silence Seven could recall listening to; Ace stayed motionless for several moment, face absolutely expressionless as he stared at Nine – who was the first one to crack, the first one to make a sound.

"… You lied," he choked out, sounding as though all air had been blown out of his lungs. "B-but why…?"

"Because you were a threat."

Junpei's voice rang out for the first time in several minutes, causing Seven to turn to him. He was pale, his expression grim, and he stared straight at Ace. "Isn't that it, Ace? You wanted to take him out of the picture before he could reveal to anyone what happened nine years ago. Not only that, but you wanted his bracelet. [9] is the most powerful number in the game – it lets whoever is wearing it go wherever they want. You wanted that bracelet for yourself. And last," Junpei added, his scowl deepening, "you wanted to use him as a test. To see if this game was truly deadly as the original. Isn't that right? Isn't that why you tried to murder him? If it worked and you had his bracelet, now you wouldn't _need_ him. You could just take Lotus and go. You're only forced to take him out with you because he didn't die when you _wished_ him to."

For several moments, Ace only stared – then he scoffed.

"Well. What a smart boy you are. But there is something you got wrong. Even now, I don't need him alive," he added, and turned back to glance at Nine. "I still have the gun. One shot, he dies, I get the bracelet. I don't have to take you out with me alive, Kubota. You'd do well to appreciate my generosity. Come here," he ordered, his eyes little more than slits of pure malevolence. Nine whimpered, and the next moment he was hiding behind Seven – who was a bit too busy being disgusted with Ace to bother paying him much attention as he cowered behind him.

"You're an even worse piece of shit than I thought," Seven growled. Ace ignored him and spoke to Kubota in an almost patronizing tone.

"Kubota, listen to me. You certainly see there is only one way out for you now. Just come over here and get out with me. Then everything will be back exactly the way it was. Why should I harm you if you're on my side and the game is over? We've been through this once already, haven't we? You, me and Nijisaki. We went through hell together, didn't we? And we made it out. We _won_. We can win again; don't be stubborn and come over here."

Nine let out a noise that sounded like a sob. "You l-lied," he choked out, almost clinging to Seven as thought he feared he would step aside and leave him vulnerable to the gun… but the next moment Seven realized there was something else going on, because he could feel Nine's hand slipping into his pocket, reaching for – shit, it was still _there_! He had forgotten all about it!

Ace sighed, now sounding everything like a long-suffering parent. "Can't you see they're trying to turn you against me? One of them is probably the one who set this whole game up. How do you know you're not hiding behind him?" Ace added snidely, and Nine whimpered, looking up at Seven as though he thought he he thought he may be about to grow second head… but he didn't step away from behind him.

Seven could see him slipping the pocket knife up his sleeve – the same pocket knife he threatened Clover with at the very start of the game, the one Seven was able to yank away from his grasp. Their gazes met for just a second, then Kubota looked down. He was shaking, and his face was soaked with sweat. He didn't look up when he spoke next.

"W-we can g-g-get out, then? J-j-just like… like last time?" he asked, and then – slowly – he walked away from Seven, in Ace's plain sight.

"Nine, no!" Clover cried out. "Don't listen to him!"

"Quiet," Ace snapped, but his annoyed expression was already melting in a smirk. "Of course. We didn't survive Gordain's Game to lose at the game of our own design, after all. Remember what Musashidou told us? Once a winner, always a winner."

"… He's d-dead too, isn't he? In the C-captain's quarters?"

"Yes," Ace said, looking almost bored. "Yes, that was him. He's dead. I must admit I had never realized until now how I _still_ wished him dead. He had it coming. You know that as much as I do. Now enough with him; you want to get out, don't you?"

Nine nodded and finally stepped forward. "O-of course I want to get out," he said, his voice remarkably firm; he kept his eyes fixed on Ace, as though Lotus wasn't even there.

"Good," was Ace's comment, and he stepped aside, dragging Lotus with him. "Now just verify. Only your number is missing."

As Seven and the others stared, barely even breathing – none of the others had noticed Nine taking the knife, Seven was sure of it – Nine paused halfway between and and the RED. Ace didn't seem bothered, and Seven realized that, worried as he was that Kubota may spill the beans about his past, Ace couldn't even conceive the possibility Nine might openly turn against him – like he wouldn't expect a meek dog to turn around and bite. But Seven would, because he was a cop, and as a cop there were two lessons he had learned fast: that even rats fight when cornered… and that a cornered rat is the most dangerous kind.

"N-N-Nijisaki is m-missing, too."

The statement caused Ace to frown. "Nijisaki?" he repeated, confusion plain in his voice. He didn't know, Seven realized – he didn't know his right hand man was the one who lay in pieces behind Door [3].

"He was w-w-with us, then. When we l-left. When we _won."_

"But he's not in here with u—"

"He _was_ ," Kubota cut him off, his voice suddenly sharp, and the next moment he moved. He was fast, like he had been with Clover, and this time he wouldn't just _threaten_ to use the knife: there was a flash of steel, and then there were two screams – one from Ace and one from Lotus – and a gunshot, deafening in the enclosed space that was the incinerator, then two more in quick succession.

But all Seven could see – all he could pay attention to – was Lotus running away from Ace, who was now staggering backwards, his left hand pressed on the right arm, blood seeping through his sleeve. He was wounded, and in that one moment the gun was lowered.

One moment was all Seven needed.

With a cry, he threw himself at Ace, who had barely the time to see him coming. There was a satisfying, strangled cry as Seven's first hit Ace's stomach and caused his knees to give in beneath him, making him fall on the floor. The gun fell as well with a clatter, and Seven kicked it away from Ace's reach.

Standing behind Junpei, Lotus breathed out a sigh of relief. "Phew… That was close. Too close. Thank you, Seven."

Seven nodded, still staring down at Ace. "Don't mention it. Just one punch ain't enough for this piece of shit. After what he did nine years ago, I oughta rip 'im to—"

" _Nine!"_

Clover's cry caused Seven turned back, still breathing heavily, and stilled for a moment when he saw Kubota was on his back on the ground, the front of his clothes quickly turning red. He stared at the ceiling as though he was struggling to understand what was happening, his breathing coming out in short gasps. It was only when the first rivulet of blood came gushing out of his mouth that Seven's brain caught up.

"Shit," he muttered, immediately turning his back to Ace to rush by Kubota's side, where Clover was already kneeling. _Of course_ it had been too optimistic of him, just thinking none of the shots fired hit anyone. At least one had hit someone, apparently – the guy who showed up at the gun fight with a _knife_. "Didn't think that one through, did you?" Seven found himself asking.

Kubota's vacant gaze finally focused on him. He let out a gurgling noise. "S-s-sev-"

"Shut it," Seven snarled, reaching down to examine his wounds. It looked bad, and once Nine's vest and blood-soaked shirt were opened it looked _worse_. Ace had fired three bullets and, damn him, all three had hit the mark: one had only grazed at his shoulder, but the other two got him in the abdomen and right side of his chest. There was no way _that_ one hadn't gotten through the lung, and the other must have pierced his stomach.

That wasn't good, it wasn't good _at all_. Wounds like that would be serious for anyone, let alone for a bag of bones like that. With his vest and shirt open, Seven could have sworn he could clearly see the outline of each rib under his skin.

"It's okay, Nine. You'll be okay. Hang in there another while," he heard himself saying. Who he was and what he did wasn't really relevant – it would be later, if there _was_ a later, but not now. Now there was just a man dying after giving them a chance to take down a madman with a gun.

"He won't die, right?" Clover asked, her voice small. Snake, who had walked up to her and crouched, put a hand on her shoulder.

Seven scowled. "He had better not," he said. I've got to throw him in jail, he wanted to add, but he had enough sense not to. "Nine, listen to me now. Don't try to move. You'll get medical help when we're out of here."

Nine squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Seven couldn't say he was surprised to see tears sliding down his temples from the corners of his eyes. "D-don't lie. I'm n-never… getting… o-out."

"Not if you don't shut the hell up, you won't. Say another word and I'll snap your neck for real. I'm dragging your ass out of here, dead or alive. Just stay down and keep breathing."

"You ran into Nijisaki near the big hospital room," Junpei was saying somewhere behind him, clearly speaking to Ace. "However, because of your prosopagnosia, you didn't realize he was Nijisaki. Chiefly because, when you met him, he was dressed like Snake. That was why you thought Nijisaki was Snake."

Seven glanced back from over his shoulder to see Ace looking up at Junpei, skin ashen.

"N-No… that's not… that was Nijisaki? But why… How did…?"

"You used Kubota," Junpei said, his voice tight. "You were the one who drugged him in the hospital room, so you could use his bracelet while he was unconscious. You could have killed both him and the person you believed to be Snake then, but it would have made your guilt too obvious. You had to pick one, and you picked Snake. _Nijisaki_."

A keening noise caused Seven's attention to turn back to Kubota, who was now whimpering and trying without much success to lift himself up to his elbows.

"He k-k-killed him," he choked out.

"Nine, no. Stay down – _down_ , I said!"

Kubota's attempts at lifting up his upper body ceased, and his head dropped back on the metal floor. He looked up at Seven, face bloodied and eyes wide and frightened. "I c-c-can't f-feel my l-legs," he managed. Seven glanced down to realize that, indeed, Nine's legs stayed limp even as the rest him shook.

That, along with the fact his bladder had clearly released, was a fucking good clue that the bullet that went through his stomach must have gotten his spine. Even if he survived, it looked like there would be no way in hell for him to walk into a prison with his own legs; there would be no walking anywhere at all anymore. _If_ he survived, which wasn't at all granted… or even _likely_.

"… We're gonna get a doctor to see to that," Seven finally said.

He failed to sound reassuring to his own ears.


	7. Death's Door

_Aaand here's the last chapter. First, a quick answer to a review (no other way I can reply to non-logged reviews, sorry!)_

"I like the idea man, the problem is that the moment Kubota lives, this deviates from the normal timeline, which would then make June feverish..."

 _What got me wondering about the possibility was actually June getting feverish in the first place. Because she DOES get feverish, in the game, when Kubota dies. And it is kind of odd:_ _as the game goes on, June only gets feverish when a WRONG step has been taken, you diverge from the "right" path and her death by incineration threatens to enter the timeline. Why she had that reaction to a_ planned _event like Kubota's death is anybody's guess. May have simply been an oversight from the game's part to show the fever plot point right off the bat (if so it's kinda shoddily handled, though), but trying to imagine a divergent timeline picking up from that point was kind of fun._

 _Hope that cleared everything up. And now,_ _on to the last chapter - hope you enjoyed the read!_

 _(Also, some parts of this are based on another fic I wrote,_ Cat's Cradle _, but not so heavily you can't still guess what's going on!)_

* * *

"Ace… You've figured it out, haven't you?"

Junpei's voice reached Hongou as though from a mile away. It sounded distant, as did everything else – everyone's words, Kubota's pathetic whimpers. It was as though he was trapped underwater. He felt like he was, sure enough. Breathing was difficult: whether it was due to the pain in his injured arm, Seven's formidable punch or to the enormity of therealization that was just now sinking in, he couldn't tell.

But it didn't matter, it didn't matter at all. He had _lost_.

"You were being manipulated," Junpei spoke again, and Hongou nodded. It took him a terrible effort, as though all of his remaining strength had left him along with his confession. He spoke without looking up, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Yes. So it would seem. I was little more than a puppet, in many ways," he said. "Everywhere I went, everything was already prepared. The REDs in the large hospital room were dismantled. Nijisaki was dressed like Snake. Perhaps Zero expected—" he trailed off, his voice suddenly failing him.

Had Zero expected him to use Kubota as he did to open that door? Had he expected him to kill him at the start, as he had planned to, and take his bracelet? Or perhaps he had expected him to request his help through the game, rather than trying to end him at the first chance he got?

 _If I had done so, he would have recognized Nijisaki before I pushed him in_. _He reached for me. He tried to call out. He recognized me, and I didn't recognize him. Kubota would have._

He had been a fool, he could see it now. Kubota _would_ have been his ally, as he was too much of a coward and trusted him too blindly to rat him out, and he'd have warned him before he threw Nijisaki through Door [3]. He would have had two allies, then. Just like in Gordain's Game, thirty-six years and a lifetime ago.

W _e're a winning team, aren't we? So let's go win our way out of here._

 _We will not die. Not now. I refuse to give up now! We won their damn game! We WON!_

 _I had no idea he had a knife, and even if I did I wouldn't have thought he'd use it. I didn't think he'd have it in him to try. We underestimated him._

And he had made the same mistake now, Hongou thought, eyes fixed on his own blood on the floor. Back then it hadn't been _him_ Kubota had turned the knife against… but back then they had been allies. This time, he made himself the enemy – and underestimated him once again.

 _Keep that in mind, boys: once a winner, always a winner_.

Hongou closed his eyes. Musashidou had been wrong, may he burn in hell. So very wrong. Not always. Not this time. This time, they _lost_. He had believed he could win on his own, and lost his gamble. Nijisaki was dead. Kubota would die soon as well. And Musashidou…

"… There was an ax in the captain's quarters," Hongou heard himself speaking. His own voice sounded even weaker now. "Musashidou was delirious from the anesthetic, so he couldn't fight back. Nijisaki as well. In retrospect, I can't understand how I could have fallen into such a simple trap. I'm…"

 _Empty. Powerless. Finished. A puppet._

"… I am quite ashamed of myself. But yes… Yes, this was a trap," Hongou finally said, and gave a bitter smirk, gaze not leaving the small pool of blood around his hands. "It was Zero's trap, and I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. I did everything he wanted me to do."

 _You lied…!_

 _He k-k-killed him…!_

"Yeah," Junpei's voice rang somewhere above him. "By manipulating Ace, Zero was able to kill three— two people, and keep the blood off his own hands," he added. Had he looked up, Hongou would have seen his gaze flickering to where Kubota lay, broken and bleeding, but still alive. But he didn't look up, not now and not later. Everything that was said afterward was only a blur of meaningless words. It didn't matter who Zero truly was, how the game was set up and why, whatever would happen to him from now on. He had lost, beaten to a game of his own design. That was all. Hongou shut his eyes and listened to nothing, thought of nothing but just that – it was _over_.

The next thing he heard, truly _heard_ , was a sudden familiar click and the ice cold voice of Aoi Kurashiki.

"Freeze."

Hongou's eyes snapped open, as though he had just been startled out of a deep sleep. He looked up to see the mouth of the gun right before his eyes, impossibly black, and for a moment he thought it would fire. For a moment, he _hoped_ it would fire. But it did not.

"Get up," Aoi Kurashiki said coldly, and reached down before he could even straighten himself, grasping the front of his coat and dragging him up with surprising strength. The gun was pressing against his head the next moment, and Hongou didn't think for even a moment that he could put up any kind of fight.

There was no fight left in him. He had _lost_.

* * *

 _For fuck's sake, not again_.

Seven inwardly cursed himself for not grabbing that goddamn gun when he had a chance to. It was the second damn time Santa was given all the time he wanted to grab it, and it was the second damn time he did just _that_. But with Nine so gravely wounded, Ace confessing to everything and then Santa giving at least _some_ explanation of what was going on, Seven had entirely forgotten then gun was even there.

Well, it looked like everyone else had, too. Except, of course, Santa.

"What's your plan, Santa? What are you doing?" Junpei asked, and Santa gave an odd smirk, backing off towards the door. He kept the gun pressed against the side of Ace's head.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm Santa Claus. It's time for me to go make a wish come true."

Seven didn't waste time to wonder what the hell he meant by that, not with his hands sticky with blood as he pressed them down on a wound that just wouldn't stop bleeding. Nine was no longer shivering, but his breathing was difficult and his skin cold and clammy. He kept his eyes tightly shut, and groaned through clenched teeth with each painful breath.

"Santa, for fuck's sake, enough with your damn games! We'll do whatever we gotta do, but Nine needs—" Seven started, but trailed off when Santa's eyes narrowed and the gun pressed harder against the side of Ace's head. He stared at him for a few moments, expression unreadable, then he looked down at Nine. His face wrinkled in disgust. "Time to take out the trash, all of it. Pick him up."

"What the hell? I can't just do that! He's hurt, he needs—"

Santa gave a barking laugh. "Hurt? Cry me a river. He's only got himself to blame – he should have just _died_. Pick him up!" he snarled, his eyes unyielding. "You _heard_ me. Do as I say, or I'll put another bullet in him now."

Seven clenched his teeth, but in the end there wasn't much he could do: Santa had a gun and, while it was now pressed against Ace's head, it could be turned against any of the others or even him any moment. And you just don't discuss with someone who holds both a gun and a hostage, no matter how much of a bastard said hostage is. Finally, Seven looked back down at Nine. He was staring up at him with wide eyes, all too aware of what was going on around him despite the blood loss and the pain.

That didn't make matters any easier, Seven thought, but he tried to sound calm when he spoke. "I'll pick you up now, okay? Just… try not to move."

Nine swallowed, his skin pale as wax and covered in cold sweat. "S-s-sev—" he tried to speak, only to trail off with a gurgling cry when Seven lifted him – it had to hurt like hell, no matter how gently he tried to do so. His upper body shook, while his legs stayed limp. Seven grit his teeth, ignored the warmth of blood soaking through the front of his overalls, and looked back at Santa.

"Santa, have some—"

" _No,"_ Santa cut him off with a growl, and for a moment his face looked everything like that of a vicious beast. "There was no mercy for me, or Akane, or anyone else. We were kids and they had _no mercy_. This is pathetic, you know – very convenient for me, but pathetic," he added, and his gaze turned to everyone else in the room. "You know who they are. You know what they did. You know they deserve a lot worse than a bullet, but there you are – bargaining for that bastard's life, not even moving out of fear for the life of _this_ piece of shit," he added, pressing the gun harder against Hongou's head. He turned back to Seven. "Do as I say or they both die now, and you with them. I'm going to leave. Hongou is coming with me. You'll take Kubota out of the door, leave him on the floor and step right back in. Have you got that?"

Seven snorted. "Not leaving me a hell of a lot of a choice, are you?"

Santa smirked. "I see you're starting to get the point of this whole hostage thing. Took you a while," he said, and began walking backwards to the door, dragging Hongou with him.

Seven had no choice but to follow, Nine still shivering and whimpering in his grip with each step he took. Knowing who he was and what he didn't wasn't quite enough to block out that, to block out the warmth blood soaking through the fabric of his clothes. "You're gonna be okay," he heard himself saying as he stepped past the door Santa and Hongou had just gone through. "Just hang in there, and—"

"Put him down," Santa cut him off. They were barely past the door now, and Seven knew that, if he turned, he'd see all the others staring at them from inside the incinerator. He opened his mouth, but Nine spoke first.

"N-no," he choked out, shaking violently despite the pain each movement had to be causing him. He was weeping again, glasses askew on his face and eyes tightly shut. A bloodied hand grasped the front of Seven's clothes, the grip pathetically weak. "P-p-please, no, don't l-l-leave me here, _please_ …!"

"Put him _down_ , I said," Santa repeated, his voice cold as ice. The mouth of the gun was leaving a bruise on Hongou's face, but he seemed hardly aware of anything that went on around him, the empty shell of a man. "Put him down and get back in before I shoot him like the dog he is."

Seven glared at him. "But _why_ do you want me to leave him there?"

"Because he can't be in the incinerator with you. It wouldn't work. He was never supposed to _be_ here now."

"What—"

"You don't need to know the details," Santa cut him off. "Now put him down and _get back in_."

Not daring to push his luck any further, Seven had no choice but to do as he was being told. He knelt, trying to lower Nine on the floor without moving him more than necessary, and gritted his teeth at the pained sound that left him nonetheless. Nine made and effort to reach up for him as he pulled back, but his hand fell back beside him almost right away.

"Please, no," was all he rasped, a broken and bleeding mess on the cold metal floor.

"Don't move," was all Seven managed to say, feeling immensely useless. He was spared the task of thinking of anything else to say when Santa snapped at him yet again.

"Get back in. I won't be telling you that again."

The warning note in Santa's voice was enough to tell Seven he really didn't want to try stalling any longer. Gritting his teeth, he stood and stepped backwards, inside the incinerator. Santa gave him a lopsided grin as the door slid closed again, locking him back inside with the others and hiding all of three of them – Santa, Ace, the broken mess that was Nine – from sight. Once again, Seven found himself staring at the number that had defined that whole goddamn game from the very start.

[9]

It felt like a goddamn mockery.

* * *

For a time, after all steps had faded and everyone – Seven, Santa, Hongou – was gone, there was only pain.

He couldn't feel anything below his waist anymore, but his shoulder hurt and his chest burned with every breath he managed to draw in, the taste and smell of his own blood overpowering. Breathing was getting more and more difficult.

Pneumothorax, Kubota thought, desperately trying to keep at least his mind working. A collapsed lung – air was escaping from the pierced lung and filling the space between it and the chest wall, putting pressure on the lung and keeping it from expanding as much as it should. It wasn't good, it wasn't good at all, but it wasn't the worst of his problems. Even the spinal injury he must have suffered to be left unable to move and feel from waist down seemed a secondary problem compared to the very real risk of bleeding out to death.

He was already feeling cold, too cold, certainly because of the blood loss. Hypothermia may not be too far away. How much blood had he lost already? How much more could he lose before he went into hypovolemic shock and his organs began failing? It couldn't be long, he could tell. He was going to die in there.

 _I'm never getting out of here_.

"No," Kubota choked out to no one at all, screwing his eyes shut. His chest burned at the effort it took him to utter even one word. God, _oh God_ , he was going to die there, he was going to die like a dog and no one was even there with him, he was about to die alone and Hongou killed him, he killed him and Nijisaki both, Hongou of _all people_ …!

 _We have to move. Teruaki, do you hear me? We must go. There isn't much time left before this ship sinks._

 _Kubota, listen to me. You certainly see there is only one way out for you now. Just come over here and get out with me. Then everything will be back exactly the way it was._

 _We have to find a… a life boat, or whatever the hell there is here. Just come with us, okay? Teruaki…?_

 _We've been through this once already, haven't we? You, me and Nijisaki. We went through hell together, didn't we? And we made it out. We won._

But not this time. This time, they lost; Hongou had doomed them all just as he had saved their lives during Gordain's Game. This time there would be no lifeboat to lower, no waiting for dawn and for some ship to pick them up. He would never see the sun again, let alone a dawn. He would die just where he lay now.

Somehow, that was the most unbearable part of it all.

"… Nine."

A familiar voice called out somewhere above him, and someone's shadow fell over him. Kubota cracked his eyes open to see a face he had learned to know through the game, wearing a flat expression he hadn't seen on her until now.

 _June_.

But that was not her name, was it?

"A-Ah… A-kane… Kura… shiki," he managed. Because it was her, it had to be her, she never died – did she? He remembered being told she had died, even Seven had said as much… but the memory now was dizzy and confused, fading away like it had never even been, and suddenly the pain in his head was almost worse than anything else. He shut his eyes against the pain and let his head drop on the floor again, choking back a sob. Something warm trickled out of the corner of his mouth and down his cheek.

What did it even matter now? She was there, _alive_ , and he was going to die. She wouldn't help him, she had no reason to, she and her brother had brought him there in the first place and—

Kubota didn't realize she had knelt next to him until he felt a hand on his forehead, holding down his head, and something small and round being pushed in his mouth. He opened his eyes when she spoke again in a quiet voice. "Don't move. Keep this under your tongue and wait. It will ease the pain," he heard her saying, and then she stood again and walked away. She said nothing more, and he was left listening to her hurried steps fading in the distance as she went up the spiraling stairs that, he knew, were right behind him.

He didn't try to turn, didn't move – _couldn't_ move – and, slowly, he realized the pain was fading. Whatever painkiller she had been merciful enough to give him was working, and by the time it had completely melted under his tongue he felt almost nothing but some mild discomfort and and he was so, so _tired_.

One moment before slipping out of consciousness, Kubota wondered if the painkiller was meant to kill him after all. If it was, he couldn't truly complain. The pain was gone, at least.

He supposed it wasn't the worst way to go.

* * *

"Damn. Well, it looks like this door isn't opening any time soon."

"You mean we're trapped?"

"So it would seem."

Seven sighed. They were all pretty much stating the obvious, really, but to be fair there wasn't a damn lot more they could add to that. They were trapped in the incinerator; June was missing; Santa had left with Ace and hell knew if Nine was still on the other side or not, if he was alive or not.

"What the hell is Santa trying to do?" Seven muttered, his head hurting some. At least the splitting headache from before was gone.

"Oh my gosh…" Clover muttered, eyes widening and hands reaching up to cover her mouth. Seven looked at her, not at all liking her horrified expression.

"Oh my gosh what?"

Snake crossed his arms, frowning. "Have you considered where we are? There can really only be one thing Santa would do now."

Seven could feel the color draining from his face. Beside him, Lotus paled as well.

"N-No… No, you can't be serious!" she exclaimed. While he knew that Snake certainly was serious, Seven couldn't help but share the sentiment. Most of all, why would Santa reactivate the incinerator? None of them in there had done anything to hurt him or his sister. Junpei had been Akane's friend, Snake and Clover had been victims of Cradle Pharmaceutical as well, he had fucking tried to _save_ them, and Lotus… yeah, how the hell did Lotus even figure? He had no idea at all, he realized.

Except…

Seven looked at Lotus more intently, narrowing his eyes a little. Now that he had his memory back, there was something about her that was familiar. Not about her personally, because he'd sure as hell _remember_ it if he met someone like her before… but something about her face, something about the face of one of the kids in the Gigantic that day…

Nona, his memory finally supplied - the kid's name had been Nona Kashiwabara, and now he could finally see that the resemblance was uncanny. The kid had looked a lot like Lotus, which could mean… she looked kinda young to be her mother - not that he'd admit _that_ aloud - but then again…

As Clover asked Junpei to borrow a pen and a notebook and began furiously scribbling equations on it, Seven took a step towards Lotus and spoke.

"Lotus, I've got to ask… is your surname Kashiwabara, by any chance?" he asked. He knew he had been right before she could even answer: she immediately looked up at him, eyes widening in surprise.

"I… yes, that's right! It used to be, if anything. It was my married name. How do you _know_?"

Was _her married name, huh?_

Chasing away the sudden and very much uncalled for thought - it wasn't like that had anything to do with the situation at hand, after all, what the hell was he even thinking? - Seven spoke again.

"Then… then I believe I met your kid. Well, one of your kids. Nona - it was Nona and Ennea, right? They both disappeared, nine years ago, along with eight more pairs of siblings…"

She was already pale, but now she paled even more. And Seven could see why, he really could. Even though she didn't have a chance to hear the whole story, with all the talk about the experiment and kidnapped children nine years before she must have realized it had to be somehow connected to her own daughters' disappearance. And now what Seven was telling her had to be turning that theory into a certainty.

"Were they here?" Lotus asked, anguish plain in her voice. "So that was what happened to them? They never wanted to tell… this experiment you've been going on about…?"

Seven nodded, his lips pulled in a grim line. That sure wasn't the kinda thing you'd want to tell a parent. He wasn't sure he could even imagine what kind of hell you go through when your children are gone and you have no idea what even happened to them. At least they were back, safe and sound, and—

"What?! Hey! No need to be ripping pages out like that! Geez!"

Junpei's voice snapped Seven from his throughs, and he turned to see what the commotion was about. It looked like Clover's calculations had brought her to a conclusion… one she didn't like at all, by the looks of it, especially since she seemed to be trying to hide the torn page.

"What the hell are you doing, Clover?! Give me that," Seven snapped, snatching it from her hand. Clover sighed and dropped her hand, not even trying to take it back as everyone else grouped around Seven to look.

There was a long silence as the meaning of what they were reading sank in.

[2] + [4] + [5] + [7] = [9].  
[8]…?

"… Shit," Junpei muttered beside him, and Seven found himself swallowing, his mouth dry.

"Then there's no other way?" he heard himself saying. As all eyes turned to Lotus, he realized with a sinking feeling that she had figured it all out before they even looked at Clover's calculations. She looked back at them, then straight at him, and did just about the last thing Seven expected her to do - she gave a weak smile.

"It's okay. Go."

Oh, no, Seven thought. Damn it, no. Damn it all to _hell_.

"C'mon, you know we can't do that," he said, crumpling the page in his hand. Lotus kept smiling, but it was obvious that it was a very strained smile.

"Oh, don't give me that. I'm sure you'd love to get rid of me. Just tell my daughters—"

"Goddamnit, you idiot!" Seven roared, letting the crumpled paper fall… only to realize everyone's eyes were on him, surprise plain on each face. Especially on Lotus'. The anger dying down just as quickly as it had flared up, Seven cleared his throat. "Without…uh… If you're not… Look, it'd be bad, all right?"

She blinked at him. "…Bad?"

Well. That was awkward. "Uh…yeah… I-If there weren't assholes like you around, I'd be out of a job."

"…Huh?"

Seven clenched his teeth, his face burning hot. He scoffed and crossed his arms. "Look, I'm just not leavin' you behind, all right? End of story," he said gruffly, looking away.

She needed a few moments before she spoke again. "Seven…"

Thank God, Junpei spoke up again, saving him from more awkward conversation. "He's right. I'm not leaving you either," he said. Beside him, Clover nodded.

"Me too."

Snake gave a calm smile. "You don't honestly think I'd abandon you, did you?"

Lotus stared back at them for a few moments before making a face. "Ugh… You're all idiots," she muttered, but her voice shook slightly and she wouldn't look up at them again. Snake opened his mouth to add something, but he never got a chance to.

 _Warning. Warning. Emergency incineration command has been acknowledged. Automatic incineration will take place in 18 minutes. Please evacuate the incinerator immediately._

Oh, Seven thought. Oh, _shit_.

"Santa started the incinerator," Snake stated, his voice unnaturally calm.

Seven growled. "Fuck! Man, I never thought I'd hear that damn voice again, after nine years…!"

"What?" Lotus spoke up, her eyes wide. "What the hell? Was _this_ part of the experiment, too? What… why… what was it all about really? What did they _do_ to my daughters?"

"W-well… it's a long story…"

 _"Explain it to me now!"_

"I'm sorry, Lotus, but we really don't have the time to explain it right now," Junpei spoke up. "I promise, I'll tell you everything once we get out of here."

"But—!"

Automatic incineration will take place in 17 minutes.

"You know what that means, right? _Incinerate_ means _burn_ …" Clover said with a small voice.

"What kind of an idiot do you think I am?! I know what _incinerate_ means!" Lotus snapped. "Seven! Figure this out!"

"What?! Why _me_?"

"Just shut up and stop this thing!"

Yeah, Seven thought, and after that he'd be ready to knock out God or something. He was starting to almost regret not taking on her offer and leaving her ass in there. Almost. "How the hell—"

"Hey, look!"

They all turned to see that the floor in the middle of the room had opened, and something that wasn't there before had emerged - some kind of computer. Junpei was the first one to recover from surprise and run up to it, nearly knocking down Lotus in the process; the rest of them could only walk up behind him to take a look over his shoulder. Not that there was much to be seen: the screen was black.

"Okay, it's turned on. There's nothing on the screen, though," Lotus said, her voice tense. "This is bad, this is really bad. If there's nothing on here, how are we supposed to do anything with it…?"

Seven clenched his jaw. "Nine would know, if he was here," he muttered. He _would_ , goddammit, because he surely designed the fucking machine and of course he would know the solution of whatever puzzle would show on there once they could get it to work. Was that why Santa had him taken out of the room? So that he couldn't just tell them the solution? Did he want them to solve the puzzle on their own? But why…?

Seven's thoughts were cut short when Junpei touched a button and the screen suddenly switched on, revealing some kind of weird puzzle with rows of numbers in a square. Seven had no idea what the hell it was about, but before he could ask Junpei suddenly straightened himself and cried out.

"Akane!"

Seven blinked. "Akane…?" he repeated. What the hell? That was the name of the girl who had died in the incinerator and… she _had_ died, hadn't she? He remembered her dying… right? He scowled, trying to remember, but the memory that was once so clear was getting more and more confused as he tried to focus on it, and his head was really starting to _hurt_.

Lotus seemed just as confused. "Who the hell is Aka—"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Junpei screamed, and that was enough to make her fall silent. She was still confused and of course she was scared, at least judging from the way she was gripping Seven's arm, but she didn't try to speak again. None of them said a word as Junpei apparently began speaking to thin air before he began working on the puzzle, so focused that just looking at him made Seven wonder if his brain would melt before he was even done. And yet, he seemed to know what he was doing. It was _working_.

And, as long as it got them out of there before they were reduced to ashes, Seven wouldn't have minded if Junpei began speaking with fucking aliens from the moon.

* * *

 _Central gate has been opened… Incineration system has been disabled…_

The speaker's voice, along with a drawn-out metallic groan, was what dragged Kubota's mind back from unconsciousness. He couldn't tell how long he had been unconscious, but it couldn't be too long, because he was still alive to begin with even though he knew he simply couldn't have much time left. His mind wasn't _fully_ there, really – it was much like having just awakened from a very long slumber – but it was fine, as long as it meant there would be no more pain. It was fine, he thought, and kept his eyes shut.

"Shit…"

"We… We made it!"

"Hey, look! Nine is still here!"

There was the sound of heavy steps, and then – once again – someone's shadow fell over him. With what felt like an inhuman effort, Kubota managed to crack his eyes open. He couldn't see very clearly, his glasses cracked and askew on his face, but it would have been impossible for him not to recognize the heavily scarred face looking down at him.

"Nine," he called out. "Can you hear me?"

"S-Seven," Kubota rasped. His breathing was still difficult, but his chest no longer burned whenever he tried to speak. He didn't try to reach up, didn't try to move. He was too weak to do anything at all now. But it didn't matter, because _they_ were there and they'd take him out. They didn't leave him behind before; he knew they wouldn't do it now, either. He was going to die, but at least he wouldn't have to die in there. Maybe he'd see one more dawn, after all.

"Fuck," Seven muttered, sounding incredulous, and turned to call out for the others. "He's still alive!"

Somewhere out of Kubota's field vision, Snake spoke up. "Then I assume he's in dire need of medical attention. Do you think you can carry him up the stairs, Seven?"

A snort. "This bag of bones? You bet," he muttered before looking back down at Kubota. "Okay, gotta pick you up. Could hurt. You just hang in there, alright?" he said, and picked him up once again without effort.

And there was no pain, none at all. He was just so weak and tired, too tired to even think of what may come next, let alone worry about it. It couldn't possibly be worse than bleeding out to death, alone and in pain, on a cold metal floor. It couldn't. Even when Seven began going up the stairs as quickly as he could, there was some discomfort at the very worst.

"We're gonna get help," Seven spoke at some point, his breathing heavy. "You'll be okay. Don't be scared."

Too weak to even nod, his head resting against Seven's shoulder, Kubota was barely able to speak. "I'm n-n-not… scared," he rasped. And, for once, it was the truth. It felt odd to be unafraid, it truly did. He had forgotten what it was like.

He had been scared for _so_ long.

* * *

"Got another blanket? We've got to keep him warm, he's like a fucking piece of ice…"

"Yeah, here, just a moment…"

"Maybe he should drink? I mean, he lost so much blood…"

"No, no water. That'd make it worse. Junpei, try to keep him as still as possible, okay? Pretty sure he's got a bullet in his spine…"

Even as he spoke, Seven knew that keeping him still wouldn't be easy at all. Desert terrain made for a bumpy ride, and Clover sure wasn't bothering to go slow. Well, she wasn't _meant_ to go slow, because they were trying to catch up with the Kurashikis to begin with, and because they needed to take Nine – calling him Nine was easier than using his name, somehow – to a hospital as soon as possible. Things weren't looking good at all, Seven thought grimly, looking down at Nine.

With Ace tied up in the trunk and basically no space to spare in the car, the only way he could think of to lay him down was sitting on the backseat along with Snake and Junpei and let him rest down on _them_. Nine's head, the only part of him that wasn't covered in blankets, was resting on Seven's lap.

He was shivering with each wheezing breath he took. Seven had managed to wipe some blood and sweat off his face with a towel they found in the car, but he was still deathly pale, skin cold and clammy. Without his glasses, which fell off his face halfway through the spiraling stairs, he seemed even more vulnerable. He was trying to keep his eyes open, but it was obviously a struggle he was beginning to lose – and Seven didn't like it how much like a corpse he looked with his eyes shut. Not one bit.

"Hey. Nine! Don't fall asleep. Don't. Speak to me. Keep talking."

Nine's eyes fluttered open, but he didn't try to speak. It was Snake to speak up for the first time in several minutes.

"Perhaps he has too little energy left. In which case he could listen. Can you do that? Focus on what Seven says and not lose consciousness?"

For a moment Nine seemed about to nod, then he was probably reminded that Snake was blind and managed to whisper a 'yes'. Snake nodded.

"Good. Do entertain us, Seven."

Easier said than done, Seven thought: it's wasn't like there were many good news to give to a fatally wounded man who was likely going be wheelchair-bound _and_ in prison in case he actually made it to civilization alive. Then again, he supposed he had to start somewhere.

"Listen, you're going to be okay. We'll get back to civilization, no problem, and get you patched up. You won't get to run a marathon in a while, yeah – you didn't do that before, I bet – but you'll be okay. And, uh… look, I think you can get a light enough sentence if you testify against Hongou, okay? I'll say you cooperated with law and shit. And that you didn't leave us behind," he added on a whim. It was a load of bullshit, but the cold hard truth of what his life would be like should he survive this could wait. There was a moment of silence before Seven spoke again, and this time it was a question. "Why didn't you? You could have turned on Ace after you were out, if you wanted to. You'd have had better chances if you left us behind."

Nine's chest rose and fell in a few rattling breaths before he could manage to speak. "You d-d-didn't."

Lotus, who had turned to look back from the front seat, frowned. "We didn't what? Leave you behind?" she asked. Her voice was not gentle, but it was still a lot calmer than Seven had feared it would be. After all, she had just found out the guy and that other asshole in the trunk had kidnapped her daughters and forced them into a deadly game nine years before. He supposed the fact he was dying after saving her life back in the incinerator did something to soften her.

Nine managed to nod, and Seven made an effort to grin. "Well, it wasn't that bad of a show you put up. Just remember not to show up at a gunfight with a knife next time. Didn't think that one through, huh?"

A weak shake of his head, and Nine's eyes closed again. Another shaky breath. "I p-p-probably w-wouldn't have tried if I d-did. I was s-scared, I… You were… y-you were r-right. I'm a c-coward."

"Nine," Snake called out quietly, causing his voice to fade. He seemed extremely serious. "Do you even know what bravery _is_?"

With a wheezing breath, Nine tilted his head to look at him. Despite the somewhat dazed, distant expression he was clearly confused. Snake couldn't see his expression, of course, but he seemed to guess it, for he went on without waiting for an answer. His voice was calm and collected as usual.

"Bravery is not absence of fear; if you think so, you have it mixed up with foolishness. Fearing something, or someone, and still being willing to stand up to it – that's bravery. You were afraid of burning, and you were afraid of what Ace could do to you should you choose not go with his plan. You could have left with him, letting Lotus be likely shot as soon as you were out and leaving all of us to burn alive to have a better chance at survival for yourself. And yet you did not. You were terrified, had the easier route right in front of you and still _chose_ not to take it. If not bravery, how do you think we should call it?"

Nine's confusion seemed to turn into something else through the daze, some kind of quiet incredulity. Snake of course could not see it, and pressed on.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

With what seemed a supreme effort of will, Nine smiled – a weak, distant smile – and spoke. "Y-yes. D-do you really… really…?"

Snake nodded. "I never say anything I don't fully mean, Nine. Of that you can be certain."

Nine's dazed eyes moved from Snake's face to Seven's. He did not speak, but the question in them was plain as day and Seven wouldn't make him waste any breath he still had to ask aloud.

"You did well, little guy," he heard himself saying, forcing himself to smile. "Hero stuff, I tell you. And I should know something of that kinda thing."

Nine's smiled had faded, likely due to his growing weakness, but while faint it was still there. "I… see. I… I…" he breathed, and that was it, that took the last of his strength: he closed his eyes, leaned his head against Seven's arm and went completely still.

Seven blinked. "Wha…? Oh, no! No, damn it, don't you dare die on me! Nine! NI—" he began, only to trail off when Snake lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Seven. Enough."

It was only then that Seven realized that everyone except Clover was looking at him, and the unconscious man in his arms. Clover sat stiffly behind the wheel, Lotus had a hand covering her mouth and Junpei was biting on his lower lip, a grim expression on his face. Snake was the only one who still looked perfectly calm.

"Enough," he repeated. "He will not make it. He can't make it; we all know it, and we cannot do a thing to save him. We can only allow him a peaceful passing. Let him sleep."

Seven found himself at a loss for words. Snake was right, he knew that much: Nine had been doomed from the moment he had been shot, for there was no way to get him help quickly enough in the middle of a desert. Letting him slide from unconsciousness into death without even realizing it was the only thing they could do for him now, as much as he wished he could do more – because he had been a cop, would always be a cop, and cops are supposed to protect people at the best of their possibilities. But Snake was right: he couldn't do anything now. He could only wait.

And wait they did. For the next several minutes no one moved, no one spoke: they all kept silent and stared at Nine as his difficult breathing slowed down more and more, until his chest rose in one last rattling breath, fell… and then moved no more. It was only after another minute of surreal silence that Seven reached to press his fingers on Nine's neck, looking for a pulse.

He found none.

There were a few more moments of complete silence before Seven finally spoke. "Clover. Can you stop the car for a minute?" he asked.

She did, without a word, and turned to look at him along with the others as Seven pulled one of the blankets up to cover Nine's head as well. He said nothing as he opened the car's door and stepped out, Nine's body still in his arms. Seven took a moment to glance around – there was only desert, no matter what way he looked – before walking around the car and to the trunk.

He could have put him in there from inside, over the backseat, but he didn't want to drop him back there like a potato sack. He hadn't been much of a man, he sure as hell had not been a _good_ man and the shit he had done was unforgivable, but he had saved Lotus' life and tried to save theirs, and he deserved some consideration for that. He deserved better than being treated like Hongou, if anything. Not that it said much, but still.

Seven adjusted his grip on Nine with one arm and reached to open the trunk with the other.

Ace was still there, tied as they had left him and with tape over his mouth, and of course he heard everything… even though one wouldn't think so by looking at him. He stared up at Seven, eyes empty, while he lay Nine's body next to him in the trunk. He looked just as drained as he had when Santa had dragged him away, but Seven barely noticed, barely spared him a look.

One of Nine's hands slid from under the blanket, bloodied and bony and limp. Seven took a moment to put it back beneath it and wrap the blanket a little better around his still body before finally looking up to meet Ace's eyes. "If you know what's good for you," he said in a low, threatening growl, "don't make a sound until we're back to civilization. Don't remind me you even _exist_ , Hongou. Or I may be tempted to fix that."

There was no change in Ace's gaze or expression, nothing to indicate he had even comprehended what he had just been told. Seven found himself slamming the trunk shut with all his strength so that he wouldn't have to see him anymore, so that he wouldn't be tempted to rip that empty shell of a man into pieces.

* * *

As a cop, Seven - Yamamoto, really, that was his name and there was no point at all in using a code name anymore - had taken part to his fair share of interviews, usually taking on the role of the Bad Cop. He was pretty good at it, too, because his sheer size often got the suspects scared shitless without him having to do anything more threatening than cracking his knuckles, scowl or raising his voice once.

Five days after escaping Building Q and something like a dozen interviews later, answering to the same questions over and over again half the time and repeating that _he had no fucking clue_ the other half, Yamamoto had come to the conclusion that he liked interviewing a lot more than _being_ interviewed.

And it looked like Lotus – no, Hazuki, that was her name, and he should really stop slipping back to _Lotus_ – shared the sentiment, at least judging from the look on her face when she sat across him.

"Done for today?"

She scoffed. "Yeah. The same questions, over and over. They were going to interview Snake _again_ when I walked out, and I'm sure Clover is going to follow soon. Junpei was the smartest one, to just run off like he did. Had I know how much of a hassle this would turn out to be, I'd have told Clover to just run over this _Alice_ and keep driving," she muttered before taking the glass of beer Yamamoto had just taken with him to the table and taking a generous swig. He had to admit that, even though the whole thing was a hassle, being kept in a hotel came with some perks. Free drinks was definitely one.

"Can't really blame 'em, though," he said with a shrug. "This whole thing is a complete mess on all aspects. I really don't envy whoever is gonna have to pick up the pieces. Without even touching this Morphogenetic Fields theory, they're dealing with kidnappings from nine years ago, a huge cover-up, and now this second game with three dead bodies - well, two dead bodies and a half. The mastermind behind this one game is on the run, with the whole thing spanning across _two_ countries. Plus a British ship _somewhere_ between Japan and the States. If you think this is a mess now, wait until it hits the courts. Hell knows _where_ Hongou will even be tried."

Hazuki's gaze darkened. "I can't say I care, as long as he gets his due," she said, her voice ice cold. "I sure hope they're dealing with him as he deserves."

"I'm sure they are. Hell, he's got a lot of talking to do. If you think they're squeezing us, just imagine what _his_ interviews have got to be like," Yamamoto said. Last time he had seen him, Hongou was just as unresponsive as he had been through the whole journey back to civilization - the very definition of a finished man.

Good.

"He could weasel his way out of trouble nine years ago," Hazuki said sharply.

"Nine years ago the Gigantic sunk with all evidence on it. Building Q is still there, and so are the bodies of three people he killed with his own hands. He won't get away this time," he pointed out, hoping that would settle it. He _really_ didn't need to listen one more time to everything Hazuki would have loved to do to Hongou if she ever got her hands on him. He sure as hell hoped that would never happen, because it would definitely land her in trouble. Ripping out someone's testicles to make a necklace out 'em was rather illegal regardless what the guy may have done to deserve it.

A nod. "True enough. What has become of the bodies?"

Yamamoto made a face. Well, wasn't that a delightful subject for a conversation.

"I heard they're having some trouble with Nijisaki's body" he said. "It's impossible to recognize it and his fingerprints were never on any database, so they'll have to run some DNA tests with a relative to be sure," he added. They all knew it had to be Nijisaki, but then again it wasn't like Alice's organization could just ship a bucketful of guts to Japan without being certain. "The other two are in the morgue as well, I think. For autopsy or some shit. Like you need that to know how they died," he added, and he couldn't keep something akin to bitterness from seeping in his voice. It's hard to remain entirely unmoved by the death of someone who just happened to die in your arms - no matter what kind of person he was when alive.

Hazuki had to sense that, for she said nothing, and kept silent when he spoke again.

"Nine - Kubota - wasn't even listed among missing people back home. You'd think someone would notice he was gone, but no."

A waiter walked up to them a moment later, bringing some drink Hazuki must have ordered - which was something a lot fancier than anything Yamamoto had ever tried - and for a few moments they just drank in silence.

It didn't last too long.

"You know he was no better than Hongou, right?" Hazuki finally spoke up, staring down at her drink with a frown. "He was involved with the experiment. He was one of the main people behind it. He knew precisely what he was doing, and even followed Hongou's orders when he told him to go ahead and leave us behind. He threatened to cut Clover's throat if we didn't do as he said. He was a monster as well."

Yamamoto stayed silent for a few moments, gaze fixed on his glass, then he shook his head. "… No. No, he was not as bad as Hongou. He was _worse_ than him."

That seemed to catch her by surprise. "Worse…?"

"Yeah. When I got my memory back and confronted him, of course he was scared shitless - and all he could say for himself was that if he hadn't developed the technology for the experiment, someone else would have done it anyway. He followed orders," he added, and gave a low laugh. "That's how the worst kinda shit happens. There are monsters like Hongou, yeah, but they're few. There are _lots_ more people like Kubota. They follow orders, because _someone else would do it anyway_ , and that is how monsters get their way."

A long silence followed, eventually broken by Hazuki. "So you think that was it for him? Just following orders?"

"Looks like it. He relied on other people a lot - relied on _Hongou_ a lot. If there was any other reason why he could even begin to think that what they were doing was not wrong as fuck, guess we'll never know. Dead people don't give out much info," he muttered, and took another swig of beer. There had been something he had picked up while Hongou and Kubota spoke in the incinerator, something about another game they had apparently gone through in the past, but if a such game had happened he had no idea what it had been about, or what it may have had to do with anything.

"At least he tried to do the right thing for once in his shitty life. Got him killed, but hey. Gotta love irony," he added, unable to block out some bitterness. Somehow, that was what pissed him off the most - that Kubota _had_ it in him to do better, but only at the very end. How much could have been avoided if he opposed Hongou _before_? "It was of _some_ use, at least. It allowed you to get away from Ace and that goddamn gun. A life for a life and all. Fair enough."

His comment caused Hazuki to scoff. "Don't remind me. He's part of the reason why my daughters had to go through hell, and yet he's the reason why they still have a mother. He could have spared me the moral dilemma at let me just hate his guts in peace. I hate owing him about as much as I hate owing _you_ ," she muttered, and Yamamoto just had to laugh. He put down his glass.

"So, how are the kids? You heard from them, right?"

That was enough to make Hazuki's expression soften a whole lot. "They're fine," she said, and when she spoke again her voice trembled. "We had a long talk by phone. We'll have so much more to talk about - I can't wait to see them again. I feared they had to go through something horrible, but I never imagined—"

"No one would have. Quit beating yourself up about it."

Hazuki paused for a moment, drawing in a deep breath, then she cleared her throat. "And to think now I have to thank _you_ for saving Nona. She would like to see you once we're back in Japan, too. Turns out you're her hero or something, so now I'll be stuck having you around even when we get back. It's like you do it on purpose," she added, giving him an accusing glare.

He grinned. "Oh, yeah. Pissing off old hags is my new day job."

"HOW DID YOU CALL ME?"

Her reaction was violent as it was predictable, but Seven found he didn't mind at all.


End file.
